Amnesia
by Beloved Dawn
Summary: Next time he found a blonde in a alley, he was just going to keep walking and not look. On the other hand, his new housemate was rather entertaining... Also humour, but I can't pick three genres
1. Free Time and Murphy's Law

_My computer has once again decided to hate me, this time by refusing to connect to the internet. As such, I had to do some convoluted things to get this sorted out. The formatting might be a little odd, but I'll try to fix that for the next chapter. This story is done, so it will likely all be posted within the month. It was just waaaay to long to leave as one segment. Enjoy._

* * *

Something wasn't right. He didn't know what had alerted him, but his hackles were up and his muscles clenched.

He almost hoped it was a fight. He'd had a hard day at work, making deals and being nice to total idiots because they had important contacts. However, a fight would be terrifying for the normal everyday people around him. Even the ones that were currently looking at him out of the corner of their eyes he didn't really want to scare. Much.

He was causing a disturbance, stopped as he was in the middle of the sidewalk. He craned his head, looking for whatever it was that had caused his alarm. Not seeing anything blatant, he moved carefully to the side of the building next to him, out of the passerby's way. He carefully kept his hands near his pockets, just in case it was a thief that had caught his attention.

When nothing materialized, he shook his head at himself, a wry smile twisting his lips. Here he was, the infamous Kale Diurn, shark of the business world, jumping at shadows like a frightened child. Then he frowned, annoyed. His gut was rarely wrong. There should be _something_...

A hint of motion in the shadows of a nearby alley drew his attention. Something was moving there, in that pile of garbage. He glared at it. Just his luck to become all bothered by some mangy ally cat going through trash. It was a good thing he had leave coming up soon. If he was that jumpy about something that small, it was probably time for some relaxation. He could go somewhere and forget all about work, and exes, and cats digging in trash piles. Although there was that patch that was way too golden and shiny to belong to an animal...

He edged closer, alert to signs of hostility from whatever life forms were hiding back here. Finally he was standing right over whatever-it-was that had caught his eye. The whole pile of dark cloth shuddered, and he heard a slight moaning coming from it.

He blinked. Animals didn't make sounds like that. It was like something out of his happier past, when him and his buddies would go out drinking. Zach always sounded like that in the morning. He squatted down next to the pile gingerly. If it was just a drunk, he could just call the cops to come pick him up. The poor guy would probably be better off in the drunk tank than on the streets.

"Hey. Hey, dude. Wake up a little, eh? You alright?" He reached out to shake what he figured was the shoulder, wanting to give the man the opportunity to go back to his own home with some dignity still left.

As soon as his hand made contact, the body bolted upright. A burnished gold braid swung wildly while hands instinctively clapped over a heart-shaped mouth. Bright blue eyes looked at him without seeing, still focused on some other scene.

_It's a woman_. He thought dazedly. _A frightened, hysterical woman. Oh joy. Why me?_ It was indeed a woman, dressed classily in tights and an obviously high quality sweater dress. Her brand name jacket, what he had originally taken for garbage due to the dirt and muck on it, had indents in the lapels where she had apparently gripped the heck out of it earlier. Add that to the blotchy spots on her face that indicated excessive crying, and he was starting to wish he hadn't noticed her at all. Still, he wasn't the type of person who could leave another in this state.

"Ma'am? Are you injured? Shall I call an ambulance? A friend of yours? The police?" At the last word,her eyes cleared and her expression somehow managed to fall even further.

"No!" She whispered urgently, as if afraid to speak any louder. "Don't call the police! Please! He'll... he'll find me. I can't... I... He..." She shook her head, tears spilling down her face unchecked.

"He who?" Kale asked, catching some of her urgency himself. "What did he do? Why not call the police? What happened?"

She buried her face in her hands, still shaking her head. "I... don't... he's... I don't _know_!" She whimpered, fear lacing her words.

He sighed. Apparently his long day wasn't over yet. "Look, let's start at the beginning. I'm Kale. And you are..."

She lifted her head quizzically, then cocked it to the side. Silent tears still ran down her face, but she didn't seem to notice them. "I... I...I don't know. I can't remember." She sounded mildly intrigued at the thought. She closed her eyes then, obviously thinking hard. "I'm... I... hunh. Nothing. I live... somewhere. Somewhere with a big, south-facing window. I... uh." She raised her hand to her temple as if she had a headache, then winced with obvious pain.

"Here, let me look at that." Kale said, reaching for her face. He took her chin in one hand, then slowly lifted her bangs from her forehead. There, right on the side of her face, was a huge, purple lump. It extended just a little past her hairline, and careful probing found it extended back a ways.

He looked straight in her eyes, startled. "You have a lump on your temple about the size of the end of my fist."

She nodded, mimed a cuff to the head, then unbalanced and fell over. He managed to catch her before she hit the ground. "He... he... it hurt... I ran... I..." She looked around, not bothering to right herself. "That's how I got here. I ran. I wanted... away. I wanted away. I..." She shuddered and started sobbing.

Kale held her against him, attempting to give her some measure of peace. She just kept sobbing, her hand fisted in his shirt. He sunk to his knees then, unmindful of the state of the sidewalk. His calves were cramping from his squatting position, and it didn't look like he'd be able to leave anytime soon. At least, not without provoking his conscious.

Finally he got her calmed down a bit. "Are you sure we shouldn't call the police..." No sooner had the question left his lips than she jumped up, face pale, and started to sprint down the alley. Kale cursed mentally and leapt after her, almost falling at the sensation of pins and needles in his legs. She was sure to get away...

Until she stumbled, still trying to run. She didn't even seem aware she was falling, so intent was she on her escape. She never even put a hand out to stop herself as she tumbled onto the pavement, her head hitting with a slight _thunk_.

He sighed, exasperated. Then he carefully gathered her up in his arms, before heading to his house. After a display like that, the heart he wasn't often credited with wouldn't let him leave her to the authorities.

_Those idiots who think they know me should see me now! Bet they wouldn't know _what_ to make of this. I don't know what to think about this!_


	2. A Morning After Like No Other

She raised her head slowly, trying to figure out where she was. Her head hurt. Her knees hurt. Her shoulder felt wrenched. Actually, her whole body hurt, everything from an ache to the fire in her shoulder. Mostly she felt her head hurt, though. It was worse even than her worst hangover, back when...

When what? She blinked and let herself fall back onto whatever sort of bed she was using, eyes closed. What had she been doing last night to feel like this in the morning? Only, wasn't it still night out there? She cracked her eyes open to check out the window. Yup, definitely night out there. Yet how could that be? She never slept past mid-afternoon, no matter when she fell asleep. Not even that time...

Hunh, she thought, sluggishly wracking her brain. What time? I don't sleep this late even when I WHAT? She couldn't answer that. She could feel it, right in the back of her mind, dancing just beyond her ability to remember.

_Well, I can worry about that later. For now, where am I? I don't recognize this place at all. The window should be... Where? Not where it is, that's for sure. So, that means I'm not at home. So where am I?_

She decided to get up. Maybe this was just a wicked hangover, and all that she still had to face was the so-called 'walk of shame'. Surely it wouldn't be her first, right? After all, she was taking this rather calmly. Therefore, she obviously just had to find the washroom, her purse, and maybe some breakfast. At that point, her life would be back on track. She steadfastly ignored the little voice in the back of her mind that said it wasn't going to be that easy.

She followed the scent of coffee with a divided mind. On one hand, she really didn't want to see just who she picked up while out-of-her-_mind_ drunk. On the other hand, he might know where her purse was. As well, he obviously had coffee. It was that last thought that decided her. She smoothed her dress down, somehow nervous. She explained it away to herself as just never wanting to make a bad impression on anyone. Finally she took her courage in her hands and walked into the kitchen.

Her first impression was quite enough to stoke any man's ego. _Wow. I could dry _sheets_ on those shoulders! And just look at those muscled arms! The hair's a bit longer than I generally go for, but it's not too bad. Though it's even blonder than mine! I hope his face matches the rest of him!_

Sensing her presence, despite the fact that she was absolutely silent, he turned. Her brief flash of approval was wiped away when she got a closer look at his expression. _Good grief! Doesn't this man ever smile? That stony expression looks like it's carved on! A face like that is wasted on someone that icy. _She suppressed a shiver at his attention. This was, without a doubt, the most unnerving person she'd ever met.

"So." He said, never taking his cold, cold eyes from her face. After an uncomfortable moment while he searched her face for something (For what? She didn't know, and wasn't about to ask.), he gave her a long look from head to toe, enough to make her blush. When his eyes came back to her face, the colour in her cheeks made him give her a sardonic smile. It made her somehow more obscurely embarrassed that he could smile with no trace of warmth or amusement.

"So." He repeated, giving a decisive nod of his head. She felt like sagging to the ground with the feeling of having passed a serious test. He waved her to a chair, and she collapsed into it gratefully. She mumbled her thanks as he passed her some toast and a cup of coffee. They ate in silence, her appetite leaving her as she could feel his eyes still on her. Finally she managed to finish off the last of her toast, and she raised her eyes to his with trepidation.

She almost jumped when he started speaking, so unexpected was the action. "Let's start with a proper introduction. I'm Kale Diurn. This is my home. And you are...?" He trailed off, obviously waiting for her to introduce herself.

"..." She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She shut it, puzzled. It was an elementary question. She knew the answer, too. She was...

Oh shit. Shit shit shit shit shit. She _didn't _know the answer. Suddenly all the little things she'd been trying not to notice came rushing back at her. She couldn't remember any of her (undoubtedly there, she still knew her attitude) escapades. She woke up dressed. And, she noticed for the first time, filthy. In a stranger's house. A stranger she never would have picked up at a bar, him not seeming the type to be there. At night, when she didn't sleep that long. Hurting all over. She dropped her head into her hands, then jerked it up with a strangled cry as her palm made contact with what felt like a _huge _bruise on the side of her head.

"I see." The man said, with what she considered an insultingly calm voice. "So you still don't remember. And I bet you still don't want me to call the police, hmm?"

She'd been gearing up to get mad at him for his high-handed treatment of what was, to her, world-shatteringly bad news. However, all of her anger drained out of her at that phrase. "...call the police..." rang in her mind, spoken in a voice both more cheerful and chilling than that of the ice-man before her. _No!_ She thought fearfully. _Nononononooooooo! Don't... he... run!_

Kale felt like cursing at himself for bringing that up right away. The only reason he managed to catch her before she sprinted out of the room was because he half expected that reaction from her. She tried to shake him off, fighting valiantly, but he had a grip on her arms and wasn't letting go. She was running back towards the bedroom, which only had a balcony as an exit. In the state of mind she seemed to be in, he wasn't willing to bet she _wouldn't_ try to get out from it. And he lived on the ninth floor.

Some crazy chick falling to her death from his balcony was _not_ how he wanted to start his leave. Actually, the crazy chick in general was a major crimp in his plans.

Still, he'd talked to her, then taken her to his home to recover. He couldn't very well wash his hands of her now.

"Oh shush, you ninnie! If I was going to call the police to handle you, I'd have _done_ so. Relax!" He hauled her into his arms, using his whole body to subdue her without injuring her any more than she already was. "Calm down, will you? I can't get anything done with you like this! You're _not helping anything_. Not by fighting me. I am not your enemy."

With a final full body shudder, she went limp in his arms. She was still supporting her weight with her own legs, but he could feel her leaning into him as if she needed the support. Considering what she'd apparently been through, he figured she probably did, and tried his best not to shake her off like he did with most females. Finally he took her shoulders in his hands and pulled her back far enough that he could see into her eyes. No surprise, she'd been crying again. He grimaced slightly, then shook his head.

"Look, nothing's going to get figured out with you this high strung. I'm going to get you some spare clothes and a towel. I'm sure you'll feel much better when you're clean." He didn't mention his second reason. At the moment, he wasn't sure what was dirt and what was bruising. That was information he wanted before he decided what the next step would be.

She nodded, her blue eyes guileless. Though it could be a front. He'd known someone before who had looked just as sweet and ended up being a total bitch. He frowned at the thought, banishing the memories that came with her through sheer willpower.

He led her back to the bedroom, one hand on her elbow to make sure she didn't take off again. Once they got there, he sat her on the bed, than started going through the drawers. "You're way too small to be able to wear any of my pants. They'd trip you up. Will shorts do?" At her cautious nod, he tossed her an old pair from when he played sports back in university... He steered clear of that thought too, finding her a shirt he'd been given as a gift that he hadn't bothered to get rid of yet. It was too small for him. He then escorted her back out, showing her to the bathroom after making a brief stop at the linen closet. Then he retreated to the living room to brood over this rather unwelcome intrusion to his life.

She looked around her at the fixtures and was impressed despite her inner turmoil. He had so little in the way of furniture that she hadn't realized how very well-off he must be. This room was quite large itself, though it was well filled with the monster jacuzzi tub that took up a full wall. She was very, very tempted to try it out, but knew better. She was filthy, and really needed a shower. As well, that man (_Kale_, her mind reminded her) was waiting for her. She was already being an imposition, she knew. No need to be rude too.

She stripped quickly, wrinkling her nose at the state her clothes were in. Then she examined herself in the mirror, scrutinizing her whole body carefully. What she saw shocked her. _Wait till after your shower._ She told herself firmly. _Some of that's probably dirt._

She spent quite some time luxuriating under his massaging shower head, just out of pure pleasure. Then she got down to the business of giving herself a serious scrubbing. Her body wasn't much trouble, but her _hair_...

It said much to her that she actually thought of just hacking it all off at several points in time. However, to have grown her hair out to the point where it touched her knees meant she must have wanted it that long. Still, it was a _huge_ pain at the moment.

Finally she finished and got out, before giving herself a brisk towelling. She hunted for a hair dryer, but gave up the search after she found condoms in one drawer. It was only at that moment that she realized Kale may not appreciate her going through all his stuff. Instead, she just ran a wide toothed comb she found on the counter through it, then tried to braid the heavy, soaking mess. Finally she wrapped the braid around her head and the towel around the braid, coming to the conclusion that it was the only way she was going to be able to _not_ soak everything around her. Finally she pulled the clean clothes on, since her skin was now mostly dry. She giggled a little at how loose the shorts were. The drawstring,when pulled tight, caused the shorts to bunch up almost double and both loops and strings to hang down almost to her knees.

Buoyed by her laughter, she bounced down the hall to where the living room was. Kale looked up at her entrance, a puzzled expression crossing his face. "Why are you so _happy_?" He demanded, confused.

She giggled again at the look on his face before pulling up the shirt, which almost completely covered the shorts, to show him the giant bow at the front of them. She expected him to see what she was laughing at, so was startled to see his expression grow grim. She let out a small 'meep' as he was suddenly next to her, holding the shirt up with one hand while the other traced the bruises peeking over the waistband. She knew, without looking, which ones he was looking at. The ones shaped like fingers, curling over her hips.

She blushed, looking down, as his hands continued their careful inspection of her injuries. He pushed up the sleeves of her shirt, checking out her arms and shoulders. He pulled the towel off of her head as she closed her eyes (was it embarrassment? Something else?), then loosened her braid so he could thread his fingers through her hair, finding a few lumps due to the slight wince even his soft touch caused her. Lastly, he tipped her face up to the light, brushing her bangs back as he completed his inspection.

Finally he let go of her and stepped back. She opened her eyes cautiously, worried about what she'd see on his face. He'd be disgusted that she let this happen, she was sure. He'd blame her. She felt the fear down to her marrow. At first glance, the black look on his face bore out her fears.

His hands were slowly clenching, a sight that scared her more than anything else at that moment. She felt lightheaded, and her vision was starting to cloud. She locked her knees, determined to take his judgement standing.

Then he spoke.

"That... bastard. If I could get my hands on him right now..." He trailed off, noticing her trembling. His expression softened almost imperceptibly, and he reached out to chafe her arms gently. "Hey, I don't mean you. I'm not mad at you. And he's not here. I'm not going to hurt you, understand? You can stay here while you get yourself sorted out. I promise. I'm not going to hit you, I'm not going to rape you, I'm not going to throw you out, and I'm not going to tell anyone in authority about you until you say I can. Okay?" She was crying again, and clearly terrified. He wished she wasn't so jumpy. He was never sure if what he said was going to cause her to bolt again, or just collapse from strain.

He was still coldly furious, more angry than he could ever remember being in his life. From the look of the bruises on her stomach, shoulders, and legs, all easy to hide in this chilly weather, this abuse had been going on for a while. From her instinctive fear reaction, she was plainly quite terrified of whoever had been doing this to her, and not at all in love. That was such a small silver lining that he barely counted it in the face of everything else.

For one thing, this girl was _tiny_! She couldn't be more than 5'3", and slender. Having packed her, he was well aware that she was quite light, appropriate for her size and build. He was able to measure the mystery asshole's handprints with his, and he was likely comparable in size, at almost a foot taller.

For another, when she'd come waltzing into the room smiling, her expression had hit him almost like a blow to the gut. He'd known she was quite pretty since his first look in that alley. However, smiling, she wasn't just pretty. She was _beautiful_! That realization had shaken him almost as much as anything else that had transpired. He hadn't thought that about a woman since... Well, best not to get into that now. It was probably just his tiredness that had him keeping thinking about her, and them.

That was neither here nor there, though. For now, he had enough to deal with without old memories. Her, for example. Her asshole ex, or guardian, or kidnapper, whoever he was. The problems she represented. He sat her down, then tried to organize the problems he had to deal with. It would probably be easier if he hadn't been up for about twenty hours, fourteen of which had been at work. And pulling days like that for the past week. However, she wasn't allowed to sleep this night. Any fall that results in unconsciousness causes a concussion. Which meant he had to stay up too.

Joy.

He rested his elbows on his knees and steepled his fingers in front of his face, considering. She stayed silent, still looking like she was afraid he was going to pounce on her any moment. Finally he spoke up. "We've got a couple of problems here. However, we'll start with the easiest to solve. I can't just keep calling you 'you'. Any ideas?"

She tilted her head to the side, considering, before shaking her head. "Not really, no. I don't think I ever considered a different name much. I just ran through a bunch in my head, but none of them felt right. I don't think I'd respond to them."

He nodded. "Fair enough. Generally, names are something _others _give you. A self-given one would be hard to feel ownership of." He tapped his fingers against his mouth, thinking. "Autumn. It suits your eyes and hair, it's my favourite season, and it's _this_ season. Hmm... In case of introductions, we'd better come up with a last name for you too. Taylor. Autumn Taylor. What do you think?"

She blinked, then mulled it over. "Autumn Taylor, hmm? I like it. It has a nice ring to it. It's not my name, but I like it anyways."

"That's good." He replied, feeling rather warm inside from her approval, though he ignored that part of him with the ease of long practice. "The next, and the next easiest to solve, are actually two interconnected ones. Money and clothing."

She waved her hand dismissively, still obviously thinking about her new name more than his comments. "I can pay you back. Money's not really an issue." Suddenly her face grew thoughtful as she realized what she'd just said. "Hunh. I wonder if I was rich before. I sure sound like some rich snob, don't I?"

He gave her a look, then gestured towards the rest of the apartment. "I'm not exactly hurting myself. What I more meant was that you need clothes. I don't shop. Plus I would _not_ be comfortable being around while you got some things. However, I can't just give you my debit or credit card. If my banking security is _any_ sort of good, they'll get a freeze on them before you're anywhere near done. Mostly what I was asking, I guess, is if you're up to carrying cash while you shop."

She nodded, considering. "I think I would be fine with that. However, I don't think I want to be packing it through a mall. Too much of a chance for trouble. Is there a department store around here? Then I can get everything all at once. I don't really want to spend too much time out in public right now." She gave a barely perceptible shudder at the thought, but he noted it. "Plus it'll cost less. Even if neither of us are approaching poverty, there's no real reason to waste money. Well, your money. I'm sure I waste plenty of _mine_ like that..." She sent him a saucy wink to go with that, and he had no trouble imagining her blowing hundreds, or even thousands, on whims.

"That's fine with me. I'd rather not spend the day ferrying you from store to store." He didn't let on that he'd seen her shiver. He knew she wouldn't want it noticed. "What are you going to tell them, though? If you don't want to attract attention, buying a whole new wardrobe right down to the underwear isn't the best idea. It'll make you stand out."

She gave a gusty sigh and suddenly looked put upon. She gestured to the empty space beside her expansively. "Lost, they say. Probably it's on its way to Mexico, they say. They're looking, they say." She leaned in almost conspiratorially. "Mexico my ass. It could be in Antarctica, for all I know. All I know is that my bag disappears all the time, and I almost _never_ get it back! And my favourite shirt was in there too! So I had to go get _cash_, since I wasn't sure if you took Amex, (oh, not everyone takes Amex, dear. The coffee shop over there doesn't even take Visa!) then go buy a new wardrobe. Not that I mind shopping, but my first day here was supposed to be at my favourite park, with my cousin, and it's _beautiful_ out there! I tell you, flying is more trouble than it's worth!" She looked so exasperated at the end that he couldn't help but chuckle.

"That was well done." He commended. "A very neat little plot. And you filled in most of the holes I could think of. I've known professional actors that weren't that good. That should work out just fine. If not, I'm sure you'll be able to improvise something that will. So tomorrow good for that, then? Or, I guess it's today now..." He glanced over at the clock, which confirmed it was way early in the morning. A time he hadn't seen with his own eyes since his college days. However, head injuries equal sleepless nights.

"'It's not tomorrow until you've gone to bed or the sun has risen.'" She quoted, eyes dancing with humour. "So your tomorrow is _my_ today, since I woke up earlier." She tilted her head to the side and placed a finger on her chin. "Does that make you my past or me your future? Just think, you could tell everyone at work that you've met your future!"

He blinked at her, slightly dumbfounded at the idea she'd just spawned. "Uh, what?"

She shook her head exasperatedly. "Silly man. Your today is my yesterday, and your tomorrow is my today. That being said, we're having a conversation right now. So now we know. In the dead of night, the threads of reality and time _unravel_!" She said the last in a spooky tone, though it wasn't enough to disguise the humour in her voice. She was obviously enjoying her nonsensical idea. Then she focused off into the distance once again. "Then again, maybe I'm just special, and can do things like that. Like Black Belt!"

She looked right at him then, expecting him to join in her laughter. He, however, had _no idea_ what she was talking about, and said so. He was starting to get used to being caught off-guard. Her train of thought has clearly not bothering to go through reality.

However, it appeared his comment had astounded her. "You've never heard of 8-Bit Theatre? Really? But... but... It's so _funny_! I got into it when..." She trailed off, frustration obvious in the set of her face. "When _what?_ _How_ was I introduced to this? It's not that big a deal, but I _can't remember_!" The last few words were hissed out, barely audible through the rage she put into them. That reminded him that, however annoying her missing memories were for him, it was worse for her.

"Look, Autumn, getting mad isn't going to make anything easier. It might even make it less likely that you can access your memories. Give it a few days. If, after that, you still can't remember, we can find a specialist to help you. Okay? Just, just relax. Give it some time. You're not in the way. You can stay here. Just let it be." He didn't want her going hysterical again. He didn't think he had the strength left to deal with her right at the moment. He hadn't dealt with _any_ hysterical girls since he'd graduated from college. Any girl that had started had gotten the cold shoulder and ignored. He hadn't cared. He could just leave scene-causing girls behind. However, Autumn was both _in his apartment_ and had a good reason, so he couldn't just walk out on her. So the best thing to do was calm her down before she really got started. He wasn't particularly _good_ at calming girls down, but he seemed to have managed it for now.

She smiled faintly, recognizing the fear in his body lines as being the normal fear of every man that he'll have to deal with a female having a little breakdown. She was sure she'd seen it before. She was sure she'd see it again. It was pretty instinctual for men. Still, she wasn't sure he'd thought it through as much as he thought he had. For one thing... "What if I don't have my memories back by Monday? It's the weekend now, but what about when you have to go to work?"

He shrugged, unconcerned. "I don't go." He smirked at _her_ look of disbelief. A little bit of payback for how she made him gape. "Seriously, though, I'm on leave. They told me point blank that I had to take my vacation time, since they didn't want to pay it out, and they wanted it done before people started worrying about Christmas. I chose now since I like September better than November anyway. If this isn't sorted out by the time I have to go to work, we'll discuss it then. Okay?"

"Okay." She replied, subdued. She looked down at her lap, mulling over everything he'd said and not said. Finally she looked back up at him. "I still don't get why you even let me stay here. You don't seem to be that naive, to automatically assume I'm what I said. It's pretty unbelievable."

He met the challenge in her eyes squarely. "What difference does it make? After watching you bolt at the very idea of calling the authorities, I knew there was _no_ place you could go. Even a women's shelter would do that. Or mention it, at the very least. Then you'd have been off like a shot and back to square one. Besides, even if you run off with the shopping money I give you tomorrow, what's the big deal? As well, you could steal everything in this place down to the kitchen sink and it wouldn't make much difference to me, financially. And if you're just playing me to get a good life for a while, I'll figure it out eventually no matter _how_ good of an actress you are. And in any of those cases, I get the rather base pleasure of tacking your hide to the wall." He shrugged. "It really doesn't matter much to me. And if you figure out who hurt you, I get to tack _his_ hide to the wall. Contacts or no, I can make it happen. I'm not a bully, but I do enjoy exercising righteous anger. I think everyone enjoys vengeance. So I really can't lose."

She raised her eyebrow at his comments, surprised despite herself. _Ice man indeed! It seems I pegged him right earlier. Still, he has a good point, and I really _don't_ have anywhere to go. And even if he is a cold jerk doing it just for the sake of the 'fun' he'll have with revenge, I need an ally._ "I see. So you have thought it through. I'm impressed."

He could hear the coolness in her voice from where she disapproved of his motivations. He didn't care. She needed him far more than he needed her, and at the end he would get the chance to flay someone alive, be it her or him. Hopefully him. Kale told himself firmly that it was just that any male that would hit a woman deserved to get his comeuppance. That his anger was merely because of his actions themselves, not to whom they'd been directed to. "Well, I did have all the time you were unconscious to do so."

Suddenly her eyes widened almost theatrically. "Oh my... You put me there in my _clothes_!" She almost wailed. "Those sheets are going to be filthy! I can't... I didn't mean... It's bad enough that I put you out of your bed for the first half of the night! Now I'll have to change the sheets before you can go to bed at all! Oh man, I really _am _being a huge pain for you, aren't I?" She jumped to her feet and rushed out of the room to where she remembered the linen closet being. He caught up with her just as she was pulling some of his spare sheets out of the closet. She glanced up at him. "Soft cotton. Good choice. Lots of people go for satin, or even silk."

She shook her head at the folly of people who think like that. "It feels good when you pull it out of the bag, but actually _dealing _with it? Silk duvet covers are the worst, though. You go to throw your duvet on the bed and it just slides off the other side. And God help you if that thing is even a centimetre lower on one side than the other once you get it settled. The entire thing slips right off as soon as your back's turned."

He raised an eyebrow at her still somehow unexpected chatter. "Coefficient of friction's that close to zero, eh?"

She looked back at him, her face absolutely adorable in an expression of confusion. "Co-what? What does that have to do with silk?"

Kale looked at her for a moment, completely poleaxed, then groaned and facepalmed. It wasn't enough that he had an abused amnesiac in his apartment. No, she had to be _stupid _too. _Well, maybe not _stupid, his conscious amended. _Ignorant. Bubble-brained. Clueless. I don't _know_ she's stupid._ He took another look at her confused face. _Yet._

He took a deep breath, deciding how to word this that she'd understand. "Silk is slippery." He said, opting for a cautious approach.

She gave a decisive snort and glared at him. "Well I know _that_! That's what I just _said_!" She huffed, spitting mad all of a sudden.

_Someone save me from women and the trouble they bring with them!_ He thought desperately. "A coefficient is a number used to show physical effects in math." _Not the scientifically approved meaning, but it'll work for this._ "The coefficient of friction is a number that shows the effects of friction. Friction tries to keep things from sliding around. The coefficient is the number we give to show, oh, a ranking of slipperiness. Ice, silk, things like that have a very low number attached. Something like hardwood floors and linoleum, where you can slide in your socks, but don't have to worry about slipping, have fairly low numbers. Carpet, on the other hand, has a fairly high number. It takes effort to slide on it, but it can be done. Things like rubber welcome mats, new car tires, and hiking boot soles have a very high number, and it's hard for them to slip."

From the glazed look in her eyes, most of his lecture had gone over her head. That thought was mostly proved in the vague voice she used in her next comment. "I'll take your word on it." He resisted shaking his head with difficulty. _On the other hand, _he mused, _at least she's not still mad at me!_

He followed her into his room, where she quickly stripped the bed, then re-made with the deliberate care that made it obvious she was more used to messing up beds than making them. He guessed that her mother had likely made her bed for her while she was at home. Still, he couldn't help but grin at the smile she gave him at her accomplishment.

"There you go." She chirped. Yes, chirped. He didn't know people could actually _do _that. "All done. Now you can go to sleep." She covered a yawn with the back of her hand. "I kind of want to too. Do you mind if I steal your sofa? I'm tired..."

He could tell that all the excitement of the day had caught up with her. She was not going to be happy with what he had to say, that was for sure. "No."

She blinked at him dazedly. "I can't have the sofa? Why not? I don't think you're chivalrous enough to give up the bed, and I wouldn't accept it either. I'm shorter. It makes sense."

"Not 'no' to the sofa." He told her. "'No' to sleep. You've had at least one serious concussion today. You can't sleep. People are supposed to stay up for twenty four hours after that. You aren't allowed to sleep until tomorrow evening." He saw her expression of dismay. "I don't think you'll be able to do it by yourself, so I'm going to keep you up."

"But... but...you..." She trailed off, obviously having a hard time sifting what he'd told her through her tired brain.

"But nothing." He said. "Having to deal with you in a coma is not something I want to do." He couldn't remember if coma was the correct danger of sleeping after a head injury. However, it did seem to impress her, and he found he couldn't care if he was wrong.

"Oh. Okay." She said, immediately subdued. "So what should we do, then?"

"I'm not exactly sure." He replied. "Any ideas?"

_Note to self_, he thought exasperatedly, _NEVER let her pick the activity again!_

"Go fish!" She said happily, obviously gloating over the fact that she, again, had the vast majority of cards from the deck. He reached out and grabbed the last card from the stack in front of him, knowing that the completed pair spelt his doom in this, the fifteenth game of their 'Go Fish' marathon.

So far he'd won twice.

He couldn't help but be impressed at the amount of energy she had. Where he was getting worn to a thread, she just got bouncier the longer she was up. He considered this while she decimated the remaining contents of his hand and finished the game.

She picked up the cards, then began shuffling them. Then she gave him a glance from under her lashes, and he was immediately on the alert. She wanted something, and he needed to be awake to veto bad ideas. Like building a fort with his books. Or playing 'Spy' in his home. "So..." She hedged, the opening comment. He scrutinized her carefully. "I was rather... impressed... with your bathtub while I was in there earlier. Would you mind if I..."

That was as far as she got before he broke in exasperatedly. "_That's_ what you wanted? A bath? For crying out loud..." He shooed her away from the cards. "I can take care of those. Just be careful you don't fall asleep in there. I'll knock on the door in a half hour or so and make sure."

He shook his head and put away the cards. Really, she could have just asked normally. It was just a tub, though he knew it was impressive. It's not like he would have said 'no'. He threw himself onto the couch and raked his hair back exasperatedly. _Silly girl has no idea...of...what's...'portant..._

_Thanks to my wonderful editor kiwigreeneyes, once again. Her comments on my stories often become my favourite parts, above and beyond the story itself. Thanks also to rana for the reveiw. I'm afraid this won't be the most imaginative retelling of the amnesia idea. I really only wanted to bounce them off of each other without the other characters around to get a feel for them and their personalities. Then it just got long. I hope you enjoy it anyways. I do have some very 'me' stuff in it, though._

_As for everyone else, I hope you like the story, and I wish you all the best in the new year._


	3. At Four AM Everything is Funny

She felt a surge of excitement as she started filling the tub. She'd had a second motive in asking to use the bath, and she hoped he wasn't aware of it. Just because she had to stay up all night didn't mean he had to. She was sure that without her to focus on, he'd go to sleep. He needed it, from the look of him. He had that slight pallor associated with too long indoors, and faint creases between his brows despite the fact that he couldn't possibly be much older than she was at... whatever she was. Adult. The final proof had been the faint shadows under his eyes.

Anyway, he would fall asleep, and she would enjoy a good soak in a jacuzzi. Win-win. She giggled at the thought. She'd never been in a tub like this, she was sure. Or, if she had, it had been a rarity. The shower had helped to loosen tired, cold, and sore muscles. This would be even better. She did have to be careful not to fall asleep, though. On the other hand, if she did she'd likely wake up when she got water up her nose.

She slid in with a contented sigh and turned the nozzles on. She luxuriated in comfort for a while before getting out. Time felt like it stood still while she was in there, but the proof it hadn't actually was in the temperature of the water, now almost cool, and her own skin, wrinkling on her toes like raisins. She flexed them and giggled. "Body of a twenty year old, feet of an eighty year old." She said, finding it hilarious. Further proof she'd been up too late, but whatever. She could find whatever she liked funny at four AM. She got herself dressed again, then looked at her original clothes on the floor. She would have liked to get rid of them, but she couldn't go shopping tomorrow in oversized shorts and a too-big shirt. No story could explain that.

She frowned at them, but did her best to wash them in the sink. By the time she'd finished, they looked much better. Not like she'd actually washed them, but they should have no trouble passing for clothes she'd travelled in. She laid them out to dry on some towels she appropriated from the closet, then went out to see what had happened in her absence.

As she'd expected, Kale was passed out on his sofa. She looked at him lying there and frowned. He was going to have one heck of a kink in the morning if he slept like that. She would have liked to be able to get him to his bed, but there was no way she could carry him. Instead she tugged on his legs until he was laying out flat on his side and his head was off the arm. She had to bend his legs to get him to fit, but she managed it. Then she went and got his pillow and a spare blanket. She'd had to tuck one of his hands back up, and he was cold!

She covered him with the blanket and managed to slide the pillow under his head without him waking. All he did was mutter a little in his sleep and shift around. He did smile slightly, which caused her heart to skip a beat. She'd acknowledged him as handsome in the kitchen earlier, but asleep and smiling, he was approachable as well. Even while comforting her earlier, as much as he could, he had held himself somewhat aloof.

She bit her lip slightly as she watched him, still crouched by his head. Then she reached out and brushed her lips against his cheek. "Sleep well, Kale." She said softly, blushing lightly. "Thank you. For everything." Then she stood up and went to go find something to occupy herself for a while. She wasn't going to fall asleep now, not while he was finally asleep.


	4. Mina Plus Kitchen Equals Disaster Area

Kale roused slowly out of dreams of golden leaves and blue sky to very unfamiliar surroundings. He was scrunched up instead of splayed, dressed, and he could hear someone singing in the background. He opened his eyes slightly and squinted around. _Who's _singing_ this early in the morning? And in MY apartment, no less?_

He started and looked around again. It _was_ his apartment. So what the heck was he doing on the sofa? It was _his_ place! He should be in his bed...

...Except he wasn't supposed to be sleeping. His memories had caught up with him, and he suddenly _knew_ what he was doing on his sofa. And who his oh-so-cheerful houseguest was. He groaned and contemplated going back to sleep in the hope that this was a dream, but decided against it. It was real. He knew it was real. And he really did need to get up and deal with the situation.

After his morning trip to the bathroom, where he splashed some water on his face, he felt more like facing his life. He followed the sound of singing to the kitchen...

And stopped, unable to take in the scene around him. His kitchen was a _mess_! And standing in the middle of it, dancing with a mixing bowl to a song he didn't recognize, was Autumn. There was flour in her hair, a dark smear on her cheek, and stains on her shirt.

"Wha...?" He croaked out, still amazed at the disaster area before him. A _hurricane _could have hit and it would've caused less destruction. She turned, startled at the sound of his voice, her eyes flying open.

"Kale!" She said happily, before taking in his expression. His disbelief was quickly being replaced with something more worrying, though it was deeply hidden.

He'd been even more surprised by the look on her face when she'd turned to find him there. She'd been _happy_ to see him there, something he hadn't seen a lot of in a long time. He'd suppressed the surge of ...something... quickly, replacing it with annoyance at the mess she'd made in his kitchen. Then he got another look at her and almost swore out loud. She was pulling back into herself as obviously as if she was part turtle. Her fingers, clutching the bowl and wooden spoon respectively, were white, and her eyes were huge. She looked terrified.

"Hey, hey, none of that." He chided, going forward to take the bowl from her before she dropped it. He placed it negligently in one of the few clear spots left in his usually immaculate kitchen before grabbing hold of her shoulders. She flinched, and he growled. "Autumn, relax. I told you last night, I won't hurt you. Dammit, don't _look_ at me like that! I was just surprised at what you'd done to my kitchen."

He looked around slowly, hands still on her shoulders. "And _what_ a job you've done on my kitchen! _Look_ at this place! I hope you know you're cleaning this up before we do anything else today!" He gave her a sharp glance at that. She was still cowering slightly, but her eyes weren't as fearful anymore. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"Umm..." She mumbled, groping blindly for the plate beside her. She grabbed something off of it and held it up to him. "Would you like a cookie?"

She smiled as he let go of her to laugh. She'd been terrified at the look on his face, even though he didn't seem _angry_. His words, at first, had made her both more secure and more afraid. Then, as his voice turned almost impressed at what she'd done, she'd felt some fear melt away. When the only thing he threatened her with was having to clean it up herself, she'd tried to take herself in hand. _He won't hurt me! _She told herself firmly. She was glad she'd managed to come up with something to diffuse the last of the tension. His laughter made her feel all fuzzy inside, though that could just be the exhaustion. Still, how else was she supposed to keep herself from sleeping?

She got him settled into a chair, after moving the stuff that she'd placed on it, and put a plate of bacon and eggs before him. She blushed at the raised eyebrow. "I was hungry already. And I didn't want to wake you."

"You should have." He broke in, flashing back to serious mode in an instant. "You could have..."

"Made a horrible mess of your kitchen, yes. And I did. Still, nothing I can't fix." She said, interrupting him in turn. She gave him a glare as he opened his mouth again. "I let you sleep. I stayed up." She gathered his hand up in hers in an attempt to convey how much she meant what she was saying. "Listen, I know what you were doing, and I really do appreciate it! But it _wasn't necessary_! You _needed_ that sleep. I could _see_ that. And you're already doing so much for me! Letting you sleep was the _least_ I could do, for you! You see?" She let her eyes convey her distress and worry. He seemed to read something in them that satisfied him, though, because he nodded and let the subject drop.

Instead he ate him breakfast in silence, and she was too nervous to break it. After two minefield confrontations already, her nerves were stretched to their limits. Instead she just sat quietly, wishing she dared do something.

"Autumn." He said, and she jumped. He smiled sardonically at it. "Do you smell something?"

Confused, she sniffed the air. Cocoa and something else filled her nostrils. Something... almost burnt... Her eyes grew wide and she jumped to her feet. "The _brownies!_" She moaned, rushing for the oven.

She smiled to herself as his laughter once again filled the room.


	5. Walmart Sells Boots, Too

"...And just _look_ at these boots! Fifteen bucks for these boots! Can you imagine?" Yes, yes he could. After all, he'd been treated to the description of what a good deal they were about five times. He didn't really mind, though. He knew it was exhaustion talking. Cleaned up and properly dressed, he didn't even mind if she was boring. She was a treat to watch, sitting on a swing near the bench he was sitting on. It had been her idea to go grab some burgers for dinner and take them to a park. He was glad she had.

She was wearing all new clothing, head to toe, but looked imminently comfortable in them anyway. Her oh-so-special black boots, pale blue jeans, a thin grey turtleneck, and a red zip hoodie that matched the bow she'd pulled her hair back with, looked just as good on her as her dress and tights did. She was pushing the swing slightly now, her hair billowing out around her, catching the setting sun in its threads. She gave him an impish smile, knowing and not caring that he was mostly ignoring her chatter. "Push me?" She asked, complete with puppy dog eyes.

How could he resist that? Why would he want to? He was enjoying being around her when she wasn't scared. Even when she did have her nervous fits, he just had to make her look at _him_ and remind her that she was with _him_, not that asshole, and she got over them very quickly.

Just thinking about the loser she'd been with previously was enough to make his fingers curl, aching for a neck to throttle or a face to punch. The things she got nervous over was enough to make him revise his already low opinion even further down.

_She bounced out of the store, carrying only one bag of clothes and one shoebox. He had the rest, following behind. "Autumn, wait up. You don't even know where I parked! Where do you think you're going?"_

_She gave him an almost guilty grin. "But it's so beautiful out. Weather like this makes me want to skip."_

_He gave her a stern-looking glare. "Skip? What are you, five?"_

_She dimmed for a second, then got distracted by a puppy nearby. It was enough for him to notice, though. He reminded himself for what seemed like the millionth time that she wasn't as together as she acted. Finally they got everything into the car. Most of the bags went into the trunk, but she kept her grip on the box she'd been carrying. Once they were settled, he found out why._

"_Look at these! And such a great deal! And they fit just perfectly! They are absolutely the most amazing find of my day, and I was only really looking for clothes!" her face fell so fast he almost didn't think it was the same person that had just been there. "I... I'm sorry... I just... I... They were just such a good deal! And I really could use a second pair of shoes." She became, if possible, even more distressed. "In the back... Oh, I'm _so_ sorry, I didn't think. You gave me that money for clothes, not shoes! I... I..." By this point silent tears were running down her face, and she was scrunched in the corner, as far away from him as she could get. _

_He unsnapped his seatbelt and moved around to face her squarely. She flinched as he reached for her, but he tamped down on the annoyance and just focused on her instead. "Hey. Hey, don't cry, Autumn." He grabbed her shoulders gently and massaged them with his thumbs. "Do you remember who you're with? I won't hurt you. And those heels you showed up in can't be good for your feet. You need comfortable footwear too. I'm glad you found something you like. I don't care what you bought, just that you know you have to live with whatever you picked up today. Okay? Can you do that?"_

"_Yes." She replied in a small voice, looking at her lap._

"_Yes who?" He prompted._

_She looked up at him then, confused. "Who? Yes... Kale?"_

_He smiled at her then, trying his best to be comforting. "That's right. I'm Kale. I'm not the person you're afraid of. I'm the person who just bought you new boots. Okay?"_

_She giggled a little at his phrasing. "Yes, Kale."_

_He gave a sharp nod. "Good. I'm glad we got that sorted."_

_She gave him a heartfelt smile. "Yes, Kale."_

"_That's my name. Don't wear it out." He gave her an almost conspiratorial wink, attempting to put her back at ease. "So tell me about your boots."_

Hence him still hearing about the boots six hours later. He didn't care. She was smiling again. That was enough for him. She was a much more pleasant companion when she was happy. Her smile still made him stare. Hey, he was only human, after all. A male human at that. Whereas _she_...

Captivated him the way no one else ever had. He told himself it was her mystery, her need. He was responding with curiosity and normal human protectiveness. That's all it was.

Until she flashed that smile. Then all of those squabbling voices fell silent. All he could do was respond to it.

There had only been one other person who could always coax a smile from him, and she was from... before. She had been special, his one love.

But she wasn't Autumn. Autumn was more than special. She was utterly unique and precious. Next to her, even the girl he thought he'd love forever, despite her betrayal, was but a colourless imitation. Eyes too light, hair too pale... Attitude all wrong too. Too much everyone's baby, too much expecting things to just come to her. Autumn at least knew she had to put some effort into getting things she wanted. Autumn wasn't as ignorantly cheerful. Instead of wearing rose-coloured glasses, Autumn saw the beauty in the shadows.

Realizing the trend of his thoughts, he pushed them out of his mind entirely. Really, to spoil time spent with a cheerful Autumn by thinking about _her_ during it...

Oh, he was going crazy. _But_, he mused, watching her laugh delightedly and feeling it right down to his toes, _What a way to go!_

* * *

_Thanks to my reviewers, as well as kiwigreeneyes, as always. Lesalanna, thanks. rana, thanks. paris, thanks for your comments and ideas, bit this story's actually all finished. It was just waaay to long to post as one thing. Some of the others will have brief cameos, but the story is about Mina and Kale, and it's focussed on them. I wanted to be able to put them in a situation where they would only interact with each other for a while to see how they worked things out. Mainly it was a way of trying to get past writers block on another story._


	6. Kale Becomes a Security Blanket

"_You didn't tell me where you were going to be. I was expecting you _here._ You were supposed to be _here._ And then you have the audacity to serve me _store-bought_ food... You are such a failure as a woman. Just a foolish, useless child in an adult's body." The voice sounded nothing more than exasperated, not even loud. Certainly not loud enough for the neighbours to ever hear. There was no previous mention of what a monster he was, and she knew it. Just as she knew that one scream would cause him to actually kill her. He'd explained it all once, and he would be able to outfox the police. That's what comes from being one of them, knowing how they operate._

"_And how are disobedient children treated, hmm?" He laughed cruelly as she whimpered. "That's right, they're punished. Now how shall I punish you?" His hands bit into her hips as he hauled her close. "I have an idea." He breathed in her ear. "I've already said you're not a child in _body..."

_She started crying, and pushed him off a bit. His face darkened angrily. "You dare disobey me _again_!" He raged, still careful to keep his voice low. He cuffed her. Hard. She could taste blood in her mouth, and swayed, near to blacking out. The only thing keeping her from collapsing was one clear thought. _Run!

_She ran. She didn't know how she got free or how she left the house, only that she somehow had. She was distantly glad he'd accosted her as soon as she was in the door, so she at least still had her coat and shoes on..._

_She ran until she couldn't run any more. Her legs, her lungs, her whole body hurt. She didn't know where she was, and her skull ached. Oh, it ached, and she knew it would be worse when he got her back. And he would. He was nothing if not possessive. He would chase her to the ends of the earth, she knew it. This was nothing more than a temporary respite. Eventually, he would get her back, and then..._

_She felt hands on her, and struck out blindly. She wasn't going to die easily. Maybe if she got a mark on him that others could see, she would at least get avenged..._

"Autumn! Wake up, Autumn!" _She could hear him... Wait, that wasn't his voice. And he never called her that. He hated autumn, hated raking and early snow. "_Please, Autumn!"_ He didn't ever sound so concerned, either. She fumbled towards the voice, somehow knowing that it brought safety, despite being male..._

She opened her eyes to find a pair of worried, pale blue ones close. Her mind whirled for a minute, still not sure quite of where she was. Finally it caught up with her, and she gave a strangled cry before launching herself into him, sobbing and holding him as tightly as she could. "Kale... Kale... I... He... Scared, ran... Then you were there... Stay?"

The last was spoken in a piteous, almost broken sob. She was relieved to hear nothing but concern in his voice when he answered. "Of course. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. I won't let anything happen to you. You're safe now. Shh, it's alright. It'll be okay. I'll protect you."

She felt his arms around her, rubbing her back and holding her close in an effort to give reassurance and comfort. "It was just a dream." He told her soothingly. "It was just a dream. It can't hurt you."

She allowed herself to be soothed, content and comfortable the way she was. She was still so tired, having gotten no sleep the night before. She felt herself drifting back into dreams, but she wasn't afraid of them. Not with Kale around. _And _he_ can just go take a long...walk...off a short... dock..._

Kale looked down at the girl now contentedly sleeping in his arms in surprise. He'd though he could calm her down some, at least to the point where she would stop crying. He hadn't expected her to go right to sleep. _Ah, Autumn, what am I going to do with you?_ He thought, saddened by the outburst. _You need to talk to someone who can really help you, not me. I still can't even fix what's broken in my own life and heart, so how could I fix yours? I'm out of my depth, and I know it. But you expect me to be able to. You have so much confidence I can. I'm going to disappoint you, and I don't want that, Autumn. You've had enough disappointment in your world._

_I wonder if... Nah. Even if he _could_ help, why would he help me after all these years? _Kale deliberately ignored the voice that told him that his old friend from high school never wanted them to have this much anger between them, and would always be ready to give him a hand. He also ignored the voice that told him the _real_ reason he wasn't phoning him up right this second was because the _last _thing he wanted to do was introduce another blue-eyed, blonde-haired beauty to his heartbreaker of an old friend. Not after what happened last time.

He went to lay Autumn back on the couch, but she stirred slightly, mewling, and clutched his shirt tighter as he tried to put her down. He sighed and adjusted her so that he could at least sit on the couch, instead of kneel beside it. Autumn didn't seem to notice, except to snuggle closer. He ran his hand through her hair, thoughts still saddened. _It's a good thing I hadn't gone to bed yet. I'd never have heard you from my room. Not with the door closed. Who knows what you might have done if I hadn't woken you? I know you won't be sleeping easily for a while yet, or at least not alone. I wish I could take this pain from you._

He couldn't seem to shake the melancholy from his thoughts, despite his best effort. Even remembering Autumn's antics and excitement from the day only cheered him up a little bit. _She's so very brave, to be so cheerful after what she's seen. And to spend time with _me_, who must remind her in some ways, the bad ones, of her tormenter. Lord knows, I've been called a cold bastard before. It's what I am. She needs someone caring around, someone who'll put her first, not someone who's all tied up and busy somewhere else._

He felt sleep hovering on the edges of his mind, and gave into it with relief. These thoughts couldn't follow him there... _And Autumn will be there with me, I know she will. A happy, heart-whole Autumn, waiting in Dreamland..._

She woke slowly, luxuriating in the unaccustomed feel of warm contentment. She went to stretch, since it didn't feel like her one arm appreciated how she'd been sleeping, and contacted something. Something hard... and warm... and breathing...

Wait a second, _breathing?_ She opened her eyes to find a white button-up shirt in her field of vision. She tiled her head up, noting tanned skin, platinum blonde hair, muscles, strong chin, patrician nose, and pale eyes.

Pale eyes, looking right at her, affection making them look almost light violet. She met them steadily, trying to remember who he was. Really, she was never at her best first thing in the morning. Then everything from waking up in his apartment the previous day (had it only been a day?) came back to her. She smiled at him, glad to see Kale this early in the morning. She was sure that the nightmare had stayed away thanks to him. As his arm closed around her even tighter, he gave a sleepy chuckle and tucked her head under his chin.

Kale roused slowly from his dreams when he felt something squirming in his arms. He opened his eyes to find them caught by the vague, clear-fall-day blue eyes of the young woman lying across his chest. He continued to gaze at her in adoration, his defence mechanisms nowhere near up after waking so gently. He watched sense come into them, then melted inside at the lovely smile she gave him. He chuckled faintly, still asleep enough to find her reaction more amusing than anything else, and pulled her closer. Her felt her tuck herself under his chin, and wished with all his heart that they could just stay like this.

Then he came fully awake as her stomach growled loudly. He could feel her blush in the heat on his neck, but he only chuckled. Then his stomach joined hers, and he pushed her up carefully. "Good morning, Autumn. Sounds like it's time for breakfast, hm?"

She nodded, eyes downcast. He didn't mind. This time it was due to embarrassment, not fear. In fact, it was rather cute. "Yes, Kale." Suddenly she shook his hands off, trying gamely to hide her blush and looking him in the eyes. "I'll... just be in washroom. See you in a bit." With that she fled.

He watched her go bemusedly. Then he shook his head at the actions of women and went to go scare up some food.


	7. A Brain Melting Ignorance of Physics

"Remind me why we're doing this again?" He asked, confused and no little slightly annoyed.

She looked at him and huffed in annoyance. "Because you've never heard of 8-Bit Theater. So I figured we'd watch some of it online. Don't you find it funny? You were laughing pretty hard at the earlier bit."

"I find the villain serving cookies to the heroes and Black Belt getting lost in a straight hallway as funny as anyone, but isn't most of this a little juvenile?" He responded, a little dubious.

"That's the _point_!" She said, exasperated. "The fact that's it's just _so_ silly is what makes it so funny!"

"That's not much of a point." He commented dryly.

"Well, what do _you_ think we should do then?" She responded tartly. She knew it was mostly boredom that was causing him to be grouchy.

"Well I don't know. We could go catch a movie, go for a drive, find a pick-up game of some sort at the city park, go to the library... Oh, right, _you_ don't want to go _outside_, so we're stuck here. Doesn't _that_ sound like fun." The sarcasm in his voice was enough to make her flinch and raise her hands in a warding gesture.

He threw himself onto the couch in frustration. "Ah, shit, Autumn. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you again. I just..." He growled slightly as she slowly lowered her hands. "Are you sure you want to stay here?" He asked, suddenly deciding to bring up what was really bothering him. "I could probably find you somewhere else to stay, now that you're conscious."

She looked at him in surprise, which quickly turned to dismay. "I'm sorry, I'm such a hassle to you. I forgot, for a moment, that you're just letting me stay here out of the goodness of your heart. I'll... I'll go. I'm getting in your way. I'll stop." Her voice was so low he had trouble making out the words, and she'd averted her face and wouldn't look at him.

"Autumn..." He started, but she was still heading out of the room. "Autumn!" He was on his feet and reaching for her before he realized what he was doing. "Don't... Look at me, Autumn." When she wouldn't, he reached out his free hand to cup her chin gently and turn her face towards him. He winced inwardly at the hurt in her eyes. "That's not what I meant, Autumn. I don't mind having you around. I just got a touch of cabin fever, that's all. And I'm not trying to convince you to leave.

"I'm just worried about how often you flinch away from me. I can be a real jerk. I'm serious. My tongue is more used to cutting people down than trying to _help_ them. I never know what I'm going to say that'll set you off. You see? I just thought it might be easier for you with someone a little less thorny than me. One of my neighbours is an 80-year-old widow. She'd probably be delighted to have a houseguest for a while. Someone a little less like the man you're running from, you see."

Her eyes grew confused at that last comment. "Like him? What do you mean, like him?"

He sighed and let go of her wrist and face. "I"m a large, physically imposing male. I'm always making you flinch. You're scared of me. I say rude things without consideration of you or how you'll take them... Shall I go on."

She tiled her head to the side. "You have some serious misconceptions about yourself. _You_ don't scare me, you never do. Even when I react like that, I don't really think I'm in danger. It's just a habit. I don't think it would matter who I was with, I'd react the same."

He opened his mouth to continue his point, but she put her hand up and laid her finger to his lips. "You're nothing like him. You're cold on the outside, but considerate and kind inside. I know, since you brought me here and are taking care of me. He was a smiling, friendly bastard who hid his cold heart with a 'good man' persona. See? Complete opposites."

He looked at her like he didn't quite believe what she was saying. She smiled, attempting to quell the last of the worries she could see there. "If you don't object, I'd like to stay here. I like it here, and I like the company. May I?"

He still didn't look quite convinced. "If you really think that's a good idea..."

"I do." She said firmly. Then she pulled his head down by the collar so she could reach her lips to his cheek. "Thank you." She murmured, releasing him. Then she skipped to the door. "I'm going to go enjoy your wonderful bathtub." She informed him seriously. "You can go entertain yourself doing whatever. I'll be a couple hours for sure."

Then she was gone, leaving him staring dumbfoundedly after her.

* * *

_A quick overveiw of 8 Bit Theatre, for those that don't know what it is. If you know or don't care, skip it: A comic strip making fun of D&D, Final Fantasy, and other such geek pastimes. It has four main characters, and all are very much _not_ heroes, with the exception of maybe Fighter. However, he has the intelligence of a particularly dull rock, so nothing much comes of that. Through thievery and chicanery, they got a king to declare them Light Warriors, and now are being herded through a series of adventures that they actually have very little interest in doing. The random one-liners, running gags, and total illogic of it make it so funny, as well as the total ignorance of the laws of physics. Black Belt, a secondary character, was able to create an alternate timeline copy of himself by getting lost in a hallway, and was also able to walk across a rope suspended over lava, of which he was holding one end and the other had since been untied._

_Lesalanna, well done. Totallycourts and anyone else with that question, yes, it's coming. Thanks for reviewing, guys!_

_For the rest of you, thanks for reading, and I hoped you enjoyed it._


	8. A Most Interesting Recipe

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked, mock sternly, his hands on his hips.

Autumn turned to look at him, her usual glow firmly in place. After a week living here, she was no longer ever afraid of him, even when he looked angry. It gave him better opportunities to tease her. "I didn't think you'd be up now. It's the middle of the night." She replied, instead of giving and answer.

He just snorted. "Like I couldn't tell if I was alone in my bed or not." He retorted.

_He woke up groggily, knowing he hadn't slept more than an hour, at the most. However, there was a hand shaking him and a voice he knew he had to respond to calling him. "Kale? Kale? Please wake up, Kale." The voice was hesitant, making him all the more determined to answer it._

_"Autumn? Wha... It's the middle of the night! What's wrong?" Looking at her eyes, he knew there had to be something. She looked terrified, once again, and her cheeks showed signs of recent weeping. He threw the blankets back and sat up, knowing he'd worn sweats to bed just in case she did need him._

_"I... I had the same nightmare again. I'm scared to sleep out there. Can I pull my blanket in here and sleep on the floor? I won't disturb you, I just don't want to be alone..." She broke off with a slight exclamation as he tugged her down with him and pulled the blankets over both of them. "What are you doing, Kale?" Her voice just held confusion, no fear. He smiled at that, glad he wasn't scaring her._

_"I'd step on you in the morning. I'm not always totally awake first thing after getting up. You can stay here. I won't do anything to you." He mumbled into her hair, holding her close._

_"Well, I know that!" She replied tartly. "But are you sure you don't mind..." She trailed off, not quite sure how to phrase their current action._

_"Sleeping with you?" He teased, knowing she'd catch the insinuation. She did, and he could feel her embarrassed blush. "Why would I? It's not like you snore."_

_"Well, if you're sure." She said, snuggling closer. "I like this better anyway."_

_He muttered something back in sleepy contentment. He hadn't really known what he was doing when he pulled her close, but he was glad he had._

_And with that, they slept._

That arrangement had become the norm for them, hard as it was sometimes for him to wake up next to a gorgeous girl he could only hold. Not that he ever let her know he was having... difficulties... due to her at times. She had enough to worry about without adding him being a breathing male to the pile. "And quit trying to change the subject." He told her, not willing to let his curiosity go unsated.

She pouted slightly. "It was supposed to be a surprise." She retorted petulantly. At his raised eyebrow and stoic expression, she made a face. "All right. You know it's the one week anniversary of me being here, right?"

"So you decided to wreck my kitchen again? Couldn't you think of a better way to commemorate the event than to pull everything out of the cupboards and throw it on the table?" He drawled in response, watching her tint pink at that. He loved making her blush.

"It's not that bad!" She defended. "You're exaggerating!"

He just raised his eyebrows at that. Then he crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. "Only slightly. Though you are right, it's better than the first time you made your own toast here..."

She blushed darker. He knew that one hadn't been her fault. She didn't light the toaster on fire on purpose. The jam had gotten knocked off the counter, jar breaking upon hitting the floor, in the ensuing mayhem. And the rest of the mess had been from her knowing enough to use flour on an electric fire, not water. Though neither of them knew where the rest of the loaf of bread had disappeared to. A week later, and they still hadn't found it. "_Kale!" _She wailed, not liking the reminder at all.

He grinned, unrepentant. "So tell me what you're up to."

She took a deep breath to get herself under control, and raised her chin defiantly. "I'm baking a cake." She replied loftily.

"Ah." He said, nodding sagely. "You must have a very different recipe. Can't remember ever having one before with," He grabbed the nearest bottle off the table. "Balsamic vinegar in it." He finished, eyeing both the bottle and her bowl dubiously.

She flushed again. "I couldn't find the baking powder." She muttered grouchily. "Your cupboards are organized weird." She said, defending herself.

"And the reason for rearranging all the furniture..."

"Because I had to get things out of the top cupboards."

"Of course. I should have realized you were too short for my kitchen." This comment was followed with a friendly pat on her head.

"Hey! I'm not that short! You're just too tall!"

"Nah, I'm pretty sure you're short."

"Am not!"

"Can you even go on all the rides at the amusement park?"

"Wha... Yes! You jerk! That was a low blow."

"Only way I can make sure it's not over your head."

She sputtered incoherently for a moment before turning her back on him huffily and resuming work on her cake. He just smiled. He always won their little spats, mostly since he was better at controlling his temper than she was. Still, both of them really enjoyed the little fights. It was a new feeling, to enjoy arguing like this. He hadn't felt like this for years.

His musings were interrupted by a dainty hand holding something chocolate-covered in front of his

face. He blinked out of his reverie, then smiled up at the girl holding the implement. "I still get a beater after that? Aww, aren't you nice!" He took the offering carefully, making sure not to drip on the floor. He didn't notice until that moment that she'd finished and put the cake in the oven.

She flushed faintly again. "I'd rather give you a beat-_ing_, but sure. After all, I get one too."

He snorted at the thought. "You, give me a beating? Are you sure you aren't still asleep? That sounds like a dream to me."

She glared at him. "You'll see. One day..." She let the threat trail off menacingly.

He raised his eyebrow at this challenge. "Well, now you've intrigued me."

She just turned her nose up and attacked her beater with her tongue. He wasn't prepared to let her off the hook that easily, though.

"What are you... Hey! That one's _mine_!" She looked like she wanted to shriek that last bit, but she was mindful of his neighbours. Instead, she just levelled a killing glare at him. "Give. It. Back!"

"Nuh uh." He replied, holding both beaters over his head where she couldn't get at them. He carefully manoeuvred himself between her and the bowl, then dropped both beaters into it. She tried to dodge around him, but he caught her up easily. Then he picked her up and packed her into the living room, her squirming all the way. He dropped her on the couch once they got there, still grinning evilly. She glared at him again.

"Now," He stated, enjoying her annoyance, "These are the rules. The beaters are in the kitchen, and you can't have one until you get past me. You have until the timer goes off."

She tried, he gave her that. However, there was no way for her 5'3'' slenderness to overmatch his 6'2'' athleticism. It wasn't even a contest. Until she figured out he was ticklish, that is. It was a much more even match after that. Finally he managed to get her pinned so she couldn't reach any of his ticklish spots. He grinned down at her, both of them rosy-cheeked with exertion.

She smiled up at him, not even remembering the cake at the moment. With his eyes echoing the cheer of his grin, his hair as messed up as she was sure hers was, and the colour slowly leaving his cheeks as he worked to get his breathing back under control, she couldn't imagine why she'd ever thought this man icy, or cold. He was all colour and warmth with her, here. She could feel that heat in her arms, where her hands were laced with his, her stomach, where he was using his body to pin her, and her face, where she could feel his panted breaths on her.

The heat made her restless, but she could find one outlet for it. Without taking time to think about it, she raised her lips to press against his. He was still for a moment, but followed her down enthusiastically when she went to pull back. However, that motion, the downwards pressure, mixed with the hard surface at her back, her hands tangled up and her body trapped, caused her to stiffen up for a moment.

It couldn't have been more than a second or so. Not even as long as it had taken him to respond to the kiss at first. He felt it, though. There was no doubt about that. Nothing else could have caused him to roll off to the side so quickly, hands free before she realized he was moving.

She felt tears prick her eyes she realized what she'd just done, flicking on and off like a light switch like that. Surely he must be angry with her now...

She rolled onto her side and pushed herself up a little to get a good look at him. He was flat on his back, one arm thrown over his eyes and the other gripping the side of his jeans hard enough for the knuckles to turn white. He was biting his lip, too. It was hard enough to leave an indent, but she didn't think he'd break the skin. She felt her heart sink at that. She'd done that to him. Just one action, one reaction, and she'd caused this.

A tear spilled over as she reached for him. She cupped his face gently and turned it towards her. He followed her lead as if helpless to resist it. His arm moved back to rest only on his forehead, and his surprised eyes met hers. She couldn't read anything but confusion and distress in them as he raised his hand to wipe her tear away. "Autumn..."

"Kale.. Oh, Kale, I... I'm sorry." She murmured.

"Shh, it's okay, Autumn. You're okay. As long as you're okay, I think I'm fine with whatever happens." he said back, just as softly. "I just want you to be happy. Everything else can work itself out."

She smiled again, through her tears. His words gave her hope, hope that her reaction hadn't ruined everything. "Would you mind if..."

"Not at all." He said, dropping his hand to the one of hers still on his cheek. He raised it and pressed a single kiss to the centre of the palm. She shivered, but not with cold. "Do what you will."

She blushed and looked away for a moment, before turning her head back to him. This time she was the one who lowered her head to him. He just waited for her, followed her lead in everything. Even as she thrilled at the fact that she was now kissing Kale, she worried that this careful, slow exploration wasn't what he wanted.

He separated them slightly when she attempted to deepen the kiss. "No." he breathed against her lips, ghosting his over them as he spoke. "Don't push it. It's enough. You're enough. You're here with me, on the floor. That's enough. When you want something more, I'll be there for you. But I want you to _want_ it. That's what makes it special, see?"

She ran her hand down the side of his face. "But what about what _you_ want? I..." She was silenced as he raised his head to meet hers more firmly. When he pulled back, she was almost dazed.

"I want the opportunity to fully explore and enjoy every facet of you that you feel like sharing with me. If we rush right past this, we'll never have another opportunity when this is enough. Enjoy it, sweetheart. Please?"

"Alright." She said, surrendering to the pleasure of his kiss and touch, one hand buried in her hair, the other on her waist. Eventually they reverted into plain cuddling, taking their fill of enjoyment in the new meaning of the touches, of the added intimacy in the embrace.

"Hey, Autumn?" he finally ventured to voice.

"Hmm?" She replied, content and happy.

"Do you smell something weird?"

She took a sniff, then jumped to her feet in panic. "Oh my... the cake!" With that she sprinted out of the room.

He just rubbed his stomach and stared after her, amused out of all proportion considering he'd just taken an elbow to the gut. "So different." He mused, remembering the frightened creature he'd packed here a week ago. "And yet so very much the same."


	9. Improbable as Ever

A great deal of their time, spent in the apartment, where she was more comfortable, was used cleaning. Not just normal cleaning, since Kale seemed to be quite the neat freak to Autumn, who always had to be reminded to take her cup back to the kitchen. No, this was deep, couch-moving, wall-washing cleaning. It kept their hands occupied while she rambled on about whatever she was thinking.

Today, she was thinking about who she had been before her amnesia. She was having a lot of fun coming up with rather implausible back stories, which he occasionally made sarcastic comments on.

"I was raised by wolves, you know." She said, while dusting his shelves. They'd already pulled everything off of it and moved it away from the wall. Kale was washing the wall behind it. "Abandoned as a child. The wolves found me, and I grew up in a cave north of here. I was their head groomer. They brought me food and kept me warm in exchange for my champion belly rubs. Then, when someone finally found me, they discovered my true talent..."

"As a circus performer." He butted in. "I can see it now, 'Come one, come all, and see the wolf-girl! Running around naked on all fours, eating raw meat, and the _howling_... I tell you folks, it's not to be missed. Could shatter glass from a hundred paces...'" He ducked the cloth she threw at his head. "No?"

She stuck her tongue out at him. "I was originally born a thousand years ago..."

"Wow, you don't look more than a day over three hundred. Don't know how you do it."

Her glare made him shut up, though he was still grinning unrepentantly. "Anyways, I was born a thousand years ago. However, as a child I was abducted by faeries due to my sweet and charming nature..."

"Which they replaced."

"...And they raised me as their own, the princess of the fae. I was greatly beloved by my subjects, and the truth of my birth was kept from me. However, eventually a great plague came over the shadow realms. Much was the suffering. Then word came of a cure, but it was an item much coveted by humans, and the wards around it wouldn't allow a creature from the Otherworld to touch it. I knew there had to be a way to retrieve it, and went out on a quest to obtain it. On the way I learned I could handle the item, not being fae myself. After I halted the plague and restored peace to my land, I petitioned my parents to allow me to discover myself among the humans and learn my own abilities. They grieved, but allowed it once they realized my heart was set..."

"Ah, that explains everything." She shot a glare to where he was setting up the vacuum. "They clouded your memories and threw you out on the street. Then you stumbled into an over-amorous drunk and freaked. That was how I found you."

He cut off her rebuttal by switching on the machine and miming being unable to hear. She just sat on the arm of his sofa and pouted. Once he finished, he came over and lifted her chin. "Couldn't resist the chance to give you a hard time." He whispered in her ear, before leaving a lingering kiss on her waiting lips.

She just smiled, all ill humour wiped away with the feel of his mouth moving on hers. She jumped up to help him as he moved back to where the shelf had been put, ready to help him move it back. After they got it settled, they began putting the books and boxes back on it. When they got to the top shelves, her job was only to bring him the articles. She couldn't reach, even on tiptoes. She was passing him the last box when she saw the brief flash of... something, some pain or sadness, in his eyes. Startled, she let go of the box before he had a good grip on it. It fell to the floor and opened, spilling the contents all over the floor.

"Oh no!" She moaned, mortified. To be that clumsy, and _right_ _in front of Kale!_ She flushed and dropped to her knees to pick up the articles. Some books, some letters, a movie, and some pictures. She gathered them all together as he knelt down to help. One of the photos in particular caught her eye. She picked it out of the pile without considering that it might not be something he wanted her to see.

"Autumn? Autumn, are you okay?" He pulled the photo out of her hands and took a look at it. "Ah. It would be this one. What caught your attention about it? Surprised that I had friends?" She shook her head, not even noticing that his cold mask was back in place for the first time in a week.

"It's... I... I know that place. I've been there before." She said, still surprised. It had hit her like a flash, her first clear memory of _before_ since she'd come here.

_She looked up at the building in surprise. "Whoa, it's huge! And your friend lives here? Just her and her grandfather?" She whistled, impressed. "She must spend a lot of time cleaning."_

_She heard a laugh from behind her. "That she does. She's always complaining about it." She didn't bother to turn around. The place before her was just too majestic to look away from..._

"You've been to the Cherry Hill Temple?" Kale asked, bringing her back to the present. His voice was surprised. "It's seven hours from here."

"That far?" She asked, suddenly dismayed. She wanted to go there, wanted to see what clues it held to her past.

"Well, only about six to the city, but it's on the west side of the city, and from here you'd enter on the east." he looked at her sharply, not missing her crestfallen look. "You want to go there that bad?"

She shook her head, then shrugged, then nodded. "You want to, but don't want to make me drive all day to get you there?" He questioned, trying to interpret her signals.

She looked up at him sheepishly and nodded. He sighed as if expecting that. "I see. It would be there, wouldn't it?"

"I...I think... I think the girl that lives there knows me. I think I met her." She said quietly, trying to justify the desire.

"Raye?" He asked, surprised. "You know Raye?"

She looked at him, just as startled. "You know her?"

He raised an eyebrow sardonically. "Well yeah, can't you tell?" He showed her the picture again, pointing to one of the people in it. "That's her."

"Oh." She said, in a very small voice. She was feeling silly for not noticing the people in the picture while she'd been staring at it before. The raven-haired girl in it did look rather familiar. So did most of the other girls in it. The guys too, but more peripherally. Except one...

She took another look at it, her eyes narrowing at the happy image of an obvious couple in the middle of the shot. The girl looked maddeningly familiar, but that wasn't what caused her sudden bad mood. That was caused by the smiling man holding her close. An all-too-familiar man with long, platinum blonde hair and blue eyes.

_Kale!_

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. _Relax,_ she told herself. _That was then. He can't even be twenty-five in that picture! It was a long time ago. He's not still with her. She doesn't still have him._

She looked up at him, watching him look at the picture. From the faint lines between his brows, she read what she didn't want to see. _She still has a part of him, though._

She closed her eyes and counted to ten, getting ready to ask what she really didn't want to know. But she needed to know, needed to ask. "Who's that blonde girl?"

He looked up sharply, hearing something besides the query itself in her voice. He put the photo down carefully and began sorting through the rest of them. Whether he was looking for something in particular of just avoiding her, she couldn't tell. "Her name's Serena. Serena Thomas. And she _was_ the love of my life, or, at least, I thought she was."

She felt a little shiver of recognition at the name, but her attention was caught more by the second half of his comment. "What happened."

He halted his search to look straight at her. After a moment he relaxed and started talking again, resuming stirring the pile of photos. "I was in my last year of university. She was in her first. We took the same bus and started talking. I tutored her in math. She's... very easy to care for. I fell, hard. I thought she felt the same way."

He gave a humourless laugh. "Hell, _she_ thought she felt the same way. We were together for those eight months. It was one of the happiest times of my life." She knew that he didn't have any family, and 'happy times' had been few and far between. She felt a sudden surge of anger at this girl who had hurt Kale.

He interrupted her temper by handing her another photo. This one showed him with another man. A tall, black-haired, blue eyed man. Even just in the photo she could tell they were very fond of each other. "This was my best friend, Darien. He didn't go to school with us. He'd tried for, and gotten, a full ride scholarship to a University across the country. He'd been in the same foster home while we were teenagers. I'd missed him while he was gone. When we graduated, he went back to our hometown. I couldn't wait to introduce him to my girlfriend."

He was quiet for a moment. She interrupted his musings gently after waiting for him to come out of it himself. "What happened?"

He shrugged, only the tenseness in his muscles and bleakness in his eyes betraying his hurt. "They took one look at each other, and that was it. They were absolutely, completely, totally head-over-heels for each other. They both tried to hide it at first, but it didn't work. I was furious. With them, with me, with our mutual friends, with everyone. I left town, after yelling at Darien that he could have her and rot in that town, for all I cared. I didn't know where I was going, and wouldn't have told them anyway. I haven't been back since."

She moved forward to gather him to her. "Oh, you must have been so hurt! Oh, poor Kale. I can't believe someone would do that to you! Even if they loved each other, they didn't have to do it like that!" She held him close and ran her fingers through his hair, inwardly fuming that anyone could care so little for his feelings. He deserved better than that.

He looped his arms around her and nestled his face in the crook of her neck. "I was. I have been for a long time. But I can see why they did it." his voice was surprised, as if this idea was an entirely new one. "They just cared for each other way too much. Too much to hide, too much to wait. They didn't _not_ care for me, I think they just didn't realize how much it would hurt me. Didn't realize that I couldn't know what they were feeling."

"Didn't you? You loved her...?" She let him read what he would out of that question.

He shook his head slightly, and she could hear the smile in his voice. "I thought I did. I did, in a way. Just... not enough. Not _that_ way. I couldn't. I also couldn't know that it was what she needed. Heck, until she met Dare, even _she_ probably didn't know what she needed. I'm kind of glad it happened, though."

She started in shock. "_Glad? _How can any part of this make you glad?"

He shrugged, trying to figure out himself what he meant by that. "That it happened when it did? It was only fool's gold. Imagine if we'd gotten married before she found that sort of love. How do you think _that_ would have worked out. There were no children, no pets, no house, nothing like that. Everyone who was affected was an adult who could deal with the fallout. If there was this problem, then it would have come out eventually. Even if it hadn't been him, without that sort of connection, we wouldn't have been happy. We'd only have thought we were. The only reason I didn't consider her side of it was because I felt like I was being discarded. Like I wasn't good enough. Pride has kept me from considering it for years."

She was silent for a minute, considering. "So you really don't mind?"

_Snort_! "_Mind? _Of course I _mind_! That's not something I can just ignore! They didn't... They..." He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Both of them! They told me I was so _important_ to them, but they couldn't even spare me a thought while they were wrapped up in each other. I felt like the only reason the two most important people in the _world_ to me just noticed me peripherally as something, some road block, between them and Paradise. I _mind_!"

She hugged him closer. "Good."

He could feel the satisfaction in her voice. "Good?" He asked, amazed. "Why good?"

He felt her blush in the heat rising in her neck. "Well, I'd feel like a bitch being mad at them if you weren't."

She smiled as he fell from her to the floor, laughing.


	10. Wake Up Call

"Wake up, Autumn!" He called, amused and exasperated by the fact that she still wasn't up. He grabbed the blanket and flapped it, getting a cold breeze blowing. She shivered and glared blearily at him, clutching the blanket tight as she tried to snuggle back into the warmth of the bed.

"Oh no you don't." He said, not letting her settle back down. He moved up to the middle of the bed and hauled her bodily out of the thing. She shot him an evil look and punched him in the shoulder, before giving in to the inevitable and heading to the kitchen.

She cheered up when she had some food in her, though she still wasn't really all that awake. "Why'd you haul me out of bed this early? The sun's not even up. You know how I am about that."

"Yes." He replied wryly, watching her brush crumbs from the front of her orange pj's. "'If the sun's not up, I'm not up' could be your catchphrase. Still, if we're going to have any time to look around at the temple and area, we have to leave early."

He smiled into his coffee as her head came up suddenly, all crumbs forgotten. "Really?"

He pretended to misunderstand. "Yeah. I told you yesterday that it was a long drive, remember?"

It was a mark of how serious she took this idea that she didn't rise to the bait. "You mean it? We're going there?" At his nod, she frowned slightly. "But you don't want to go there." She pointed out, uncertain.

He just shrugged at this, still uncomfortable thinking about it. "I can handle it. Besides, I really should deal with that sometime. It's... not good, for me to keep that with me, and to stay angry at them all. It was a long time ago, especially to hold a grudge for."

She nodded thoughtfully, eyes wide as she considered this idea. "I guess so. So when are we going?"

"When you're ready. Which probably means Friday. It was a good thing I got you up early, eh?"

He ducked the piece of toast thrown at his head with a grin.


	11. Oldest SM Mystery Solved

"So this is definitely a place you've been before?" Kale asked, looking up at the temple. It looked just like he remembered. He had the uncanny feeling he could just step forward into his life at twenty-two. It was unsettling, to say the least.

"Yes, Kale." Autumn replied definitively, but with a slight waver in her voice. It wasn't doubt, but this was the first hint she had in a week about her real identity, and she was understandably worried. In fact, now that they were finally standing there, neither of them wanted to take the first step up to the building. Finally, she drew a careful breath and started to speak. "Well, I guess we should..."

"Mina!" Someone grabbed her arm, and both of them jumped. "Jeeze, I was _calling_ you and _calling_ you. Why didn't you answer me, cuz?"

Kale blinked, quite blindsided. "Serena?" He asked, dumbfounded. How life had transpired to have his very first interaction back here be with her...

"_Kale?"_ Came a very surprised, and very familiar, voice from nearby. He turned to see someone he'd been both hoping and dreading to see here. It was Darien. And he was carrying a toddler.

All four of them looked at each other in confusion, the child happily babbling to her father and ignoring the tension. Finally Kale broke the silence. "Umm, why does she have pink hair?"

Autumn started laughing at Kale's comment, knowing it was just so absurd as the main concern of this meeting. Apparently the girl holding her arm agreed, since she did the same thing. Both of them had a slight edge of hysteria in their voices, but no one really noticed. She was maddeningly familiar, though not just from Kale's photo. Serena, for that was who she assuredly was, seemed to know her, too. She hoped that this woman could tell her who she was.

Still, those thoughts played a poor second fiddle when the male newcomer (Darien, she remembered) grinned hesitantly at Kale, hope plain on his face. "An accident with some raspberry juice powder yesterday. It didn't all wash out last night. She's almost as blonde as you are, though her hair has some red in it naturally. We're assuming it comes from my side of the family."

Kale raised his eyebrow at Serena. "An accident. In the kitchen. Well, she comes by it honestly."

Serena flushed lightly. Though she'd never done anything _quite_ as spectacular as Autumn's toaster fire, she wasn't the luckiest person in the kitchen either.

Darien just grinned, obviously happy with this give and take with his old friend. "It's good to see you again. Did Mina drag you here for some reason? I didn't even know she knew you."

"Very true." Serena said, putting her hands on her hips and turning to glare lightly at the other girl. "Why didn't you tell me about him? Last I heard you were still ga-ga over that high-ranking detective, whatsisface. Ummm, John, Jack, Jake..."

Darien glanced at his wife (the ring was there on her finger, uncommented on, though noted by both the travellers) reprovingly. "Jase. His name was Jason, or at least that's the name she was gushing over when she was here for Rini's birthday three months ago."

Autumn, meanwhile, was going paler and stiffer. Kale noticed, allowing him to catch her when she fainted. He quickly scooped her up and ran up the stairs to the temple, Serena and Darien right behind him. Darien was actually fast enough to get the door to the temple open before Kale broke it down, Rini giggling over this new game. Kale barely noticed. All he was concerned with was getting Autumn... Mina... hell, she was still Autumn to him for now, to a bed.

"You're late, Meatba... _Kale_?" He didn't even catch the flabbergasted look on the young priestess' face as he pushed past her to her room, laying Autumn on the bed with care. When the other three caught up with them, she just stared at them for a second, speechless. Finally she seemed to come up with something to say. "Wha... Who... When... What is Kale doing here, after six years without a peep, carrying your unconscious cousin, who lives four hundred miles away?"

"We don't know yet." Serena replied, her face quite pale. "We hadn't gotten to that part yet when she collapsed."

"I think we should take this somewhere else." Came the strained voice of the man next to the bed. "Raye, is your grandfather up to watching Rini for a bit? There's some things I should explain to you all, I think."

She nodded, eyes still wide. "Yeah, he loves watching her. They both lay on their backs on the floor, eating cookies and drooling. Pair of ne'er-do-wells there, I'll tell you. Good thing they never actually get up to anything."

"Good." He turned around decisively, taking command as only he or Darien ever could. "Set it up, would you?" Then he walked out, back to the main room. The others shrugged and followed, leaving Autumn/Mina lying there in the darkened room.

The second Rini was fully occupied with Raye's grandfather and out of earshot, Serena burst out with all the questions she'd been holding in since seeing Kale back in their hometown. "What's wrong with Mina? Why'd she faint? Why were you with her? Why did you decide to come back now? Why not earlier? Why did you leave in the first place? Didn't you know we all cared for you so much? Why didn't she respond to her name? Why..." She trailed off as Kale imperiously raised his hand for silence.

"Those are very good questions, and they will, hopefully, all be answered today. For now, however, I don't think we should talk about her. Wait until she wakes up. Then we'll answer all your questions. For now, I'll start with the ones about me. I came here now, and not before, because yesterday I realized I had no more reason to stay away, while I did," He glanced back towards the room where his Autumn slept, "Have a reason to come."

"You never really had a reason to stay away. No one wanted that." Serena said, rather sadly. She had never meant to hurt him, and even now she could still feel the horrible guilt that had settled over her once she realized how much she had.

He shrugged, though his face was not as unconcerned as his action. "I wanted that. You asked if I knew how much you all cared for me. I thought I did."

A snort from Darien accompanied this comment. "You mean you thought we didn't." He heeded Kale's slight nod more than his wife's stricken face, and continued. "You were hurt and betrayed. Even if that's not what we meant, it's what we did. And the worst part is, we would do it again if it was necessary. You did have a reason to stay away. Embarrassment, anger, fear, and being love-lost would have kept anyone from coming home. None of us knew where to find you, but even if we did, you wouldn't have come back. I would never have gone to ask, either."

Kale nodded again. Obviously, Darien had spent a lot of time brooding over that month, as Kale had spent a lot of time imagining it had never been part of his life at all. It pleased him a little that he'd never _really _been forgotten, even in his friend's bliss. However, he did wish, for the first time, that he hadn't been the cause of such agony.

Serena just looked very upset, like she was holding back tears by her bare fingernails. Raye broke in then, not totally understanding. "If there was that much keeping Kale from us, why did he come back now? Why wouldn't you have gone looking for him? After all, it was your decision that there be no attendants at your wedding, since you couldn't have your best friend there to stand with you." Kale started at that, surprised.

Darien looked over and caught Kale's eye, and they shared a moment of bonding that they hadn't realized they'd missed in those intervening years. That gave Kale the push he needed to find an answer to their questions. "I came back because I can now. I had a realization, and can therefore forgive and move on. I never could have before. I didn't know, couldn't know, what caused them to act like that. I could no more see why they needed to be together despite everything else than a five year old can fix a transmission, no matter if he's seen an adult do it. Now... I know more than I did at twenty-two. I've seen more, done more..."

Serena and Raye just looked faintly disturbed, as if they couldn't quite make sense of what he was saying. Darien just looked down the hall to the closed door to the room they'd all been in earlier. He glanced back at Kale, one eyebrow raised, and caught Kale looking at the door too. Kale just shrugged, somehow managing to look smug and embarrassed at the same time. Darien smirked, understanding just how his friend felt. He'd felt the same six years ago. What Kale had found was the type of love that knows no bounds, the kind that you would rather die than leave ignored.

And Kale was quite right. Until he discovered for himself why his friends, and they still were that, in their own minds, had acted like they did, he couldn't have stayed. Until then, staying to have Darien and Serena's relationship waved in the face of his 'one love' would have been salt on his emotional wound, comparable to Loki's torture in terms of pain. It would have destroyed him, turned him into something else.

Darien had no delusions about the fact that his friend had spent an uncomfortable few years. There was no way they could have been easy. However, if he was still able to respond as well as he had to Mina, then he was fine. A little scarred, a little gun-shy, but that was life. Darien's biggest regret in life was causing that, but he was very glad it hadn't harmed who Kale was in any lasting way.

There was still something he needed to say, however. But it was for him and Kale alone. Much as he loved Serena, she wouldn't understand. Not in the same way. She'd always had family and friends to support her. For him and Kale, however, there had only been each other for years. There were the other guys in university for Kale, and after for Darien, but it wasn't the same bond, not as deep.

"Hon, do you think you and Raye could get us some coffee? This is likely to be a long chat, and it's better to have it now than to have to send someone out for it later, when they might miss something." Serena had first started at his voice, but now nodded in understanding of his reasoning. She didn't catch the second reason, though. She got up and held a hand out for Raye, then they left the room. They were still silent, trying to understand Kale's motivations.

Kale just raised an eyebrow, recognizing Darien's ruse for what it was. "Well?" He asked finally. "After all that work to send them out, I thought you had something to say."

"I do." Darien said, then took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. For everything. It was more my fault than anyone else's, this mess. I never even considered you, though I know I should have. I just went for what I wanted with a single minded intensity that worries me. Sere didn't know what she was doing, not really. She was always the type to fall in and out of love rather easily. She really doesn't, even now, understand why you did what you did."

"And you do?"

Darien smiled, and expression with absolutely no humour in it. "As much as anyone can, I think. I couldn't have forsaken her... Well, you know that, now." He mostly ignored Kale's indignant face, though he chuckled inwardly at the idea that his stony friend hadn't accepted it yet. "I could have, _should _have, gone about it a better way. But all I could think of was me. My wants, my needs, my life. I expected everyone else's life to just fall in line with what I wanted to happen. And that's what hurt you so much." His eyes betrayed pain that Kale was sure Serena didn't know was there. It was pain Kale didn't want to see there.

"Dude, don't torture yourself. You were what, nearly twenty-two? Only a year into legal adulthood? Why do you think age of majority is so high? It's because at that age, that's _all_ you can see, no matter _who_ you are. I'll agree you could have handled it better. So could I. I could have _tried_ to understand. I could have kept in touch with the others, if not you right away. I could have _tried_ to be there for you just because you were my best friend, not even because I understood. And as long as you're feeling guilty, we can't be... We're stuck at that point. You won't be comfortable enough around me. So try to forgive yourself. I've forgiven us both, as much as I can, or I wouldn't have come here. Can you do that?"

Darien looked like he'd been through an emotional wringer, but at Kale's words he perked up a bit again. "I can try, at least. With a head as hard as mine, it may take a while to get through."

"Good enough." Kale said, shrugging. It wasn't really a gesture of dismissal, more one of discomfort. Neither of them were all that used to discussing emotions that openly, and he doubted they ever would be. Darien understood. And Kale knew that he understood. That was why they had been (were?) best friends, after all.

Raye and Serena came back in soon, but that was fine. What had to be said had been said, and the rest would work itself out or not in time.

They all sat around awkwardly for a while, no one quite knowing what to say. Finally, Kale decided to break the silence, the feeling of uncertainty grating on his already raw nerves. "Look, why don't you tell me about Rini? All I know is she likes cookies and has her mother's luck when it comes to the kitchen. How old is she? When was she born? What was her first word?"

That broke the tension, with all three trying to tell their favourite stories from the time of Serena's pregnancy till now.


	12. In Which People Argue

"So he kept poking my stomach, and she would poke back. It was a little annoying for me, since they were playing their poking game through me, but it was cute. Then Darien got bored and stopped. Rini tested for him a few times, then gave a huge kick that made me gasp. Dare asked me if I was okay, to which I responded by slugging him. He gave me a startled look and asked what that was for." Serena was laughing as she recounted the tale.

Darien picked up the conversation with ease. "That was when she gave me a killing glare and spoke with sugary venomous tones. I won't forget it. She said 'The baby's still playing.'"

Kale laughed, easily imagining this couple doing just that. Suddenly he stiffened, noticing the muffled sounds coming from down the hall. They weren't happy noises.

Before anyone had even had a chance to wonder what had changed his mood, he was out of his seat and down the hall. He wrenched the door open, only to be almost knocked off his feet by a terrified blonde whirlwind. She clung to him, crying. "The dream... not a dream... here... scared..."

The other three had caught up by now, and were looking at her in shock. Mina looked at them, nervous at first, then relaxing as she seemed to recognize them

"Shh... it's alright, Autumn. He's not here. He won't ever hurt you again." That startled her to the point that her tears stopped. She realized then that she didn't even know who was holding her so close. Why was he calling her Autumn? Did he think she was someone else? She turned her face to look up at him...

And suddenly remembered the last week. "Kale!" She said, almost in shock, clinging to him tighter. Seeing him here startled her more than anything, even with remembering the rest of the day. Knowing he knew her cousin was different than seeing him here with her. Why, she'd even heard of him... From her _cousin?_ The girl she was still a little pissed off at was her _favourite cousin and best friend_? _For. Freaking. Real?_

Those were the thoughts running through the back of her mind. Most of her attention was on a completely different thought. _He's here! He's here, and I'm not alone._ She continued to look up at him, her tears flowing again. "Where _were_ you? I had that dream again. Why didn't you stay and keep it away?"

He gave her a stern look, though she could see the humour in his eyes. "Right, because crawling into Raye's bed with an unconscious you is the correct way to have handled this situation. Heck, I might not even have gotten interrogated had I done _that_."

Serena gaped and Raye glared. Even Darien was taken aback by the callousness in his words and the sarcasm lacing them. However, they all felt their jaws drop when she started _laughing_. Kale grinned, her response pulling it from him as much in relief as in amusement.

"Poor baby." She gasped, chuckles still punctuating her words. "Were they very curious? It's your fault. You knew they'd be like this. You know them."

He raised an eyebrow at this and affected a haughty air. "_I_ thought I'd have you to distract them with. Then _you _had to go faint and leave me to their tender mercies. What a way to repay me..." He trailed off looking long-suffering.

Mina giggled and ruined the dignity of the man next to her with an elbow to the gut. "Ignore this clown here. He's just making trouble."

Serena looked at her cousin with confusion in her eyes. From tears to smiles in a heartbeat was all Mina, but _what_ had _happened_ that she was here, with _Kale_, and hadn't told Serena _anything about it_?

"Mina... What's going on?"

That question sobered everyone there. All trace of amusement was gone from the couple before her. Serena saw her cousin start trembling, and her ex carefully wrap his arms around her, giving support.

Mina took a deep breath. This was the moment of truth. She would never be able to face it without the support of the man behind her. "Jason Leroux, Jase, is actually a possessive, dangerous, abusive piece of shit. He threatened my life, and attacked me physically at the slightest provocation. One day he... pushed me too far. I pushed back, and he struck me a good one to the side of my head." She raised her hand to her temple, where her bruise was just a yellow-green stain. "That, and the strain, knocked something loose in my head, I guess. I forgot... everything, really. My name, my place, my life,... I still don't remember much of the next day. I don't think I'll ever remember that." She shuddered. "That night Kale found me, and he's been taking care of me and everything since."

It was a huge understatement. But it worked well enough. The shock on everyone's face was complete. She felt the arms tighten about her, but they stopped just short of bruising. That made her happy, despite the sombre mood of the room now. He always knew her limits.

"So you have your memories back?"

The voice floated to her ears, to soft for the others to here. "Yes." She breathed back.

"And you are Mina? That's really your name?"

"Yes."

"And you know everyone here?"

"Yes."

"Do you feel safe with them?"

"Yes."

"Alright." He replied, then she felt his arms loosening and letting go.

She paled and spun to face him, hands clutching his shirt. "Kale! You..." She trailed off then, realizing that she must just have no more hold on him. She didn't need him anymore, so he was taking his leave. He hadn't wanted to come here anyways. She was just an inconvenience to him, no matter what _she'd_ thought of those kisses...

She blushed at how she had thrown herself at him, and how much of a gentleman he'd been. She let her hands drop to her side as he continued heading out. _Don't go!_ She thought, but she could hardly voice that now.

Fortunately, she wasn't the only one curious. Darien grabbed his friend's shoulder as he pushed towards the door. He didn't even flinch at the killing glare Kale levelled at him. "Where are you going?" He asked, quite serious.

"I have a name. I'm going to go kill me a bastard. I'll be back when I have that son of a bitch's head on a pike." The black anger in his voice was enough to make everyone flinch. Except Darien, who just narrowed his eyes.

"Getting yourself arrested is _not_ the way to handle this, Einstein. Use that brain of yours. Or did you kill it while you were gone?" The cutting sarcasm in his voice made all three girls flinch again, and they backed away from the argument before them, eyes wide.

"So I should just ignore it? Just let people get away with hurting others? Turn a blind eye? Is that how you'd like me to respond to things?" It was a low blow, and he knew it as he said it. At the moment, though, he couldn't care.

Darien felt his words like a knife to the heart, but he forgave them even as he readied his return barb. "I want you to _think_, though it's obvious you don't know how. No, you just get it in your empty head that you're not needed and rush off, no thought of anyone else." He stepped close, hand still on Kale's shoulder. He dropped his voice, cutting the other man off quietly even as he opened his mouth. "Mina still _needs_ you. Don't you see? She's still afraid of what people will think of her, now that... this happened. She doesn't see you going off on a crusade, all she sees is _you leaving her!_" He hissed the last few words.

He felt gratified by the look of surprise on Kale's face, and the flicker of the eyes over to where Mina was standing, gaping. He was silent, and Darien let go of his shoulder before finishing up the argument. "She's going to want you here. She's going to want you to know, though I don't think she'll have the fortitude to tell it a second time, living it a third. Stay." The last word was almost a question.

Kale could see the truth of Darien's words. He was tight-lipped and glaring for a moment, before he bowed to good sense. He gave Darien a slow nod, signalling that he understood.

He was startled as Darien clapped a hand to his shoulder and turned him back to the girls. "Good. Now we listen to Mina, and later we go _git that bastard!_ Then we can call the girls and all dance on his grave, okay?"

Kale couldn't help laughing at forced cheerfulness Darien put into that threat. He knew the other was deadly serious. And that he was right. He looked again at Autumn... Mina, and saw what Darien was saying. Her eyes were wide, worried, and slightly hurt. He hadn't meant to make her look like that. He crossed over to her quickly and gathered her back up in his arms for a moment. "Don't look like that. He's got a point. I'm here. I'm staying."

_For how long?_ She thought silently. _Till this is all over? I want you to stay for longer. I want you to _stay.

Still, she just nodded. She couldn't tell him that. "Yes." She breathed.

He felt a slight pain in his chest as she said that. It made him wonder if she really did want him here, need him here. If so, why this sudden hesitation to say his name?

* * *

_Thanks to kiwigreeneyes for editing and reviewing, and to queen bek for reviewing. The pregnancy anecdote was from before I was born, my parents and my older sister. Surprisingly enough, Dad never played that game with either my brother or me..._

_Anyways, I hope you're all still enjoying the story. Cheers!_


	13. A Second Sad Goodbye

Kale was seething. What they'd heard, what she'd said, was enough to have him boiling. They'd decided to take Mina's troubles to the police here, since _he_ had never worked here. The tale had shocked and horrified even the police and their resident psychologist. Mina was currently in a closed-door session with said psychologist, exploring the full extent of the mental scarring she'd be left with. Kale had overheard two officers discussing what had happened. According to them, it sounded like Jason Leroux had callously and _purposely_ attempted to destroy Mina from the inside out.

They'd been in town for a week, and nothing was happening. Leroux had apparently been picked up and released on bail on the condition that he report all relationships to his officer. Everything was all set up for this to go to trial within the month.

That wasn't enough for Kale.

He knew very well that this was a case of he said, she said. With no real evidence either way beyond her bruises, this was likely to be a drawn out, painful experience for Mina. There was nothing to be done for the shadowed look on her face either. Until she was able to put it behind her, she would have to relive it all the time.

Mina was the other thing that bothered him. After the first nightmare, they'd explained their sleeping arrangement to Darien and Serena. Now they shared the spare room, instead of Mina taking the sofa like she'd insisted the first night. It was the only time Mina ever reminded him of his Autumn. While she was asleep, she'd cuddle close and smile her beautiful smile. Awake, however, she seemed to be going out of her way to put distance between them. She was always looking away, blushing, or leaving the room he was in. She also hadn't let him kiss her since she'd rediscovered her memories. It was frustrating, painful, and rude. To go from chattering to ignoring was quite the shock, and Kale found it offending him. She had no trouble talking to Serena. Even to Darien.

Kale was sure that what she'd said two weeks previous had been a lie, whether or not she knew it. The only reason he could see for her to pull back like this was if he'd been correct. If he did remind her of Leroux. The idea that she saw him like that... wasn't palatable, to say the least. If it wasn't that he was the only one she wanted keeping the dreams away, he'd be gone already. A position as giant dream catcher wasn't what he wanted from her.

Mina was sitting by herself in the garden. She'd finally been released from the psychologist's session. Each one of these made her feel like she'd been through the wringer. What she wanted now, more than anything, was to go find Kale and curl up at his side. She knew she wasn't going to, though.

She didn't want to seem that clingy. The poor guy had decided to come here, the scene of his greatest embarrassment, just to get rid of her. Then he couldn't leave because she needed him to keep the dreams away. She was sure he resented having to deal with her problems. He often seemed so annoyed with her.

For her part, she couldn't seem to look at him. She felt like a teenager with her first crush. Given half a chance, she'd follow him around all day and just stare. He was like a work of art, a song she could never hear enough, a book she couldn't read enough. As long as he was occupied, she was always sneaking glances at him. The second he looked at her, however, she became so flustered she ended up having to leave the room.

Her inability to look at him had another consequence as well. The first time he'd went to kiss her, she hadn't understood what he was up to. When he had gotten that close to her, she'd turned her face away, suddenly shy. She hadn't even realized he'd been going for a kiss until she felt his lips on her cheek. At that point, she'd been so embarrassed that she'd fabricated a stupid excuse and left.

She could still remember the shocked look on his face. Going to sleep with him that night had taken all the courage she'd had. He hadn't _seemed_ angry with her...

She buried her face in her hands, feeling the betraying heat in her cheeks that let her know she'd done it again. Her face was as red as a tomato, and she was only _thinking _about him.

"My psychologist suggested something different tonight. She thinks I'm getting too dependent on Kale's presence." Mina didn't look at the man in question. She looked at the table. All four of the household adults were sitting around the table, making small talk. Rini was down for her nap.

"What did she suggest?" Serena asked curiously.

"She called it self-hypnosis. I'm supposed to sit quietly and repeat the mantra 'I will not have bad dreams' to myself twenty times three times this evening. She says relying on someone else so much after... what happened... makes me less likely to get past it. She also spewed some crock about me coming to view Kale like _him_ just because they have similar roles in my life."

Kale sat quietly, absorbing this information. It appeared he had been correct in his assumption if even the psychologist thought the same thing. If she was able to keep the nightmares away by herself, it would be past time for him to take his leave.

The next morning, they had their proof. Mina hadn't had a nightmare. Upon hearing this, Kale had taken his leave of his hosts with a promise to come visit and an open invitation for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. That farewell hadn't been too bad, but he was still brooding over his goodbye from Mina.

That was a true goodbye, he was sure. He had no intention of ever seeing her again. He didn't know her number or address, and hadn't bothered to ask. She was glad to see the last of him, he was sure.

He wasn't glad. When they'd been awkwardly stumbling over their conversation, he'd been throttling the urge to crush her to him, cover her with kisses, and beg her not to leave him behind. He knew he couldn't do that, though. For one, he wasn't that sappy. He would never beg, not even for her. For two, she obviously didn't feel the same way. Having seen real love in Serena and Darien, he could never stoop to trying to coop her in whatever they had felt in that week. Cabin fever, maybe. All it would be was his university heartbreak all over again.

His heart throbbed, and he was unpleasantly reminded of the last time he'd made this drive. Even the weather was the same, the perfect grey wet to depress anyone and make a cinematic leaving. The only difference was that he wasn't swearing he'd never return. Even the niggle of betrayal was the same. _Dammit, Autumn, why'd you have to go and become Mina? I loved you! _She_ doesn't even seem to _like_ me!_

His thoughts startled him out of his melancholy. Love? Since when did he love her? Reviewing all his memories of her, he could only think it must have been from the start. He smiled, remembering the day in the park. Then his mood dimmed as he thought of the last week. Really, what was his fascination with falling for girls who didn't love him back? Whatever it was, it wasn't healthy. He was glad he had work to go to in another two days. He needed something to get his mind off her.

* * *

_To queen bek and anyone else who might be wondering, no, the bad guy is not in any way related to any other member of the SM cast in any universe. It was just a name that's common enough and similar enough to others for there to be that little bit of confusion for Serena. I actually didn't even consider how similar it was to the normal names given to Jadite when Englishized. Thanks for the review, and I hope that clears it up._


	14. Mantras and Ponies

Mina's psychologist wasn't happy when she learned the results of the self-hypnosis. Turns out, it wasn't her 'I will not have bad dreams' mantra that had kept the dreams away. It was the thought that Kale would still be there to protect her even if she failed that had done it. Proof of _that_ was that the dreams returned the night after he left, and only thinking of him was enabling her to sleep.

Not that she'd told her cousin of this. Or her cousin's husband. Between her door and theirs, they couldn't hear her. She knew that they'd call Kale back if they knew. She wasn't going to let this do that.

Kale had run the second he thought he wasn't needed anymore. Even their farewell had seemed forced, like he just wanted to get on the road already. He'd only stayed there, where he didn't want to be, because she had needed him, and his nobility wouldn't allow him to leave her in the lurch.

She shook her head at the thought. It was like a fairy tale, if you didn't look at the ending. Damsel in distress, knight in shining armour protecting her from everything... Then he had to go and run off at his first chance.

She hugged herself tightly and fell onto her side on her bed, curling her knees up. It really had been like a fairy tale, with love at first sight and everything. Now she didn't want to even move. She'd never had a heartache like this one. She'd hopped from love to love, rarely being the dumpee. Even on the few times she'd gotten the short end of the stick, she'd never felt like this. She'd thought she was shattered. Now she knew she hadn't even been chipped.

She was steadily making progress in moving past Jase, a fact that was amazing to everyone around her. She wasn't so impressed herself. She was still working with the prompting of the past week. _If I get myself sorted out and can stand by myself_ she had promised herself, _then I will have nothing to be shy about and will tell Kale how I feel and convince him to view me as a woman, not an inconvenience. _Getting over Jase, even with everything he'd done, wouldn't be a problem. Getting over _Kale_, now...

Wasn't going to happen. She knew that, deep down. Even if she somehow moved on, she'd never be 'over' him. He would never be just an old memory to her. Even if she found another, there would never be a time when Kale wasn't a love to her.

Tears were streaming down her face, but she didn't care. If anyone saw her, they'd just think it was over the wrong guy. The only one she would have to worry about would be Rini, and she was at her grandparents for the day. The bubbly girl, back to being her normal strawberry blonde, couldn't stand anyone being sad. Mina didn't want to be the one to introduce the girl to heartbreak, so she was extra careful around her.

She heard the front door open, and had her assumption of who had done so confirmed when no greeting was called out. Darien wasn't one to make a production of anything. She took a couple of deep breaths and wiped her face in preparation to go downstairs. She knew that being alone would only encourage her to sulk. She'd had enough of that for the time being.

Darien watched his cousin enter the room with trepidation. He was always afraid he would say something he shouldn't to her. Watching her, and Kale, when he'd been there, was almost painful. They were just so _oblivious_ of something he found incredibly obvious. Then again, Serena hadn't noticed either...

He didn't miss the tear stains on Mina's face. Knowing her, he could only assume she'd decided she'd had enough solitary brooding. Before he could think if it was a good idea, his mouth was open and moving. "Rough day?"

The question had been accompanied with a cup of tea. She took it before grimacing, nodding, and then sipping from it.

"Because of Jase?" He asked, then mentally cursed himself for bringing it up. It wasn't _really_ his business, but...

She gave him a strange look before answering. "You have to ask?" She said, but the sarcasm in the phrase seemed more a defence than anything. Darien decided to continue, knowing he'd already gotten himself involved.

"I thought it might be over Kale." She choked on her tea. He gave her a moment to get herself under control before continuing, noticing that her hands were still clenched in a death grip on her cup.

"Why would you think something like that?" She asked, trying her best to seem like she had never even considered him.

Darien gave her a wry grin before removing her cup from her fingers. "Possibly because at the mention of his name you attempted to shatter our dishes. I think this is even one from the set you bought us for our wedding. You're fond of it."

She looked at him, speechless for a moment, before bursting into tears. Darien swore before going over and awkwardly patting her shoulder and attempting to calm her down.

From what he could gather from her blubbering speech, he was correct. Mina was in love with Kale, and she was aching over their separation. It was good to have the confirmation. He may have felt sure she was in love, but that didn't mean he actually _understood_ women. He could have been so far off base he wasn't even playing the same game and never known.

He did, however, understand Kale. Knowing the guy for eight years and having been through what he was going through would do that. Not to say Darien understood everything of Kale, but he knew him well enough for this.

Finally Mina started to calm down. Darien was just as glad. He hated hysterical females. He never knew what to do with him. Serena had thrown her hands up and firmly ordered him to let her deal with Rini's temper tantrums after she got him to promise her a pony. The child seemed perfectly happy with her rainbow coloured plastic thing, but Serena was taking no chances.

Darien pushed the still warm cup of tea back at Mina. "Talk." He told her bluntly. "I can't help if I don't know what happened. I don't _do_ sympathy, not well anyways, and I don't believe that this situation has deteriorated to the point where that's all I could offer, anyways."

Mina glared at him. "He left already. He had the opportunity to leave and jumped on it. Please explain how you think you can 'help' this."

Darien raised his eyebrow, not impressed by her retort. "I won't know until you tell me, now will I?" he responded.

Mina sulked for a moment over his logic before speaking. "He went. I didn't want him to go, but he did. I was such a pain to him, always making messes and taking up his time and turning him into a security blanket. Then I wouldn't leave when he told me to. I didn't know that he was doing that! I thought he was just worried about me being around a male, and I didn't want him to worry like he was! And then, when I k...ki...kissed him," She stuttered over that word, her face white, "He was nice enough to let me. Probably because I was calmer like that, and he could stop fear in its tracks with just that. Then I made him come here, when he didn't want to, and he had to see you all again, and he got so touchy, and... and... I just couldn't _talk_ to him! When I was Autumn I didn't have a problem, but now that I'm me again I was acting like a silly child with a crush, and that annoyed him even more!" She started crying again, despite her best efforts. She knew she was making Darien uncomfortable.

Darien waited until she'd stopped sobbing. His heart went out to her, but he still couldn't get over his male response to a crying woman of looking for a way out. Finally, when she'd gotten herself under control, he spoke. "I've known Kale for years, you know? You've known him for what, two weeks?" At her nod, he went on. "So you're going to have to accept my deductions to be just as likely as yours if I'm going to be able to help. Can you do that?"

"Yes." She responded, subdued. He gave her a weird look.

"I've been meaning to ask you about that habit. You always say 'yes' now. You used to say 'sure', 'aye-aye', 'right away', and others as well. Also, you always leave your mouth open for an extra half second, as if you were going to say something else to. What is it?"

She looked away, blushing lightly. "I was about to say 'Yes, Kale'. It was, a way of making sure I knew who I was with, that I was safe, I guess. Then it became habit, I suppose."

Darien frowned suddenly. "I don't think I've heard you say his name once since you've been here. Was it really that common before?"

She looked up at him sharply. "I have so! I actually got told off about it..." She trailed off then, suddenly realizing something. "That was only with my shrink, wasn't it? She told me I didn't always have to say 'Kale this' and 'Kale that'... So I stopped saying it... Didn't I ever say it outside of her office?"

Darien solemnly shook his head and she dropped her head into her arms with a muffled expletive. "Well, I certainly managed to fubar that! I was so worried about not smothering him that I was outright rude!" She started banging her head on the table, and Darien quickly stopped her. He really didn't need her smacking herself silly again.

Once he'd gotten her settled, Darien sat back, considering what she'd said to him already, plus what he'd seen. "So let me see if I've gotten this correct. You and Kale were involved in some sort of relationship before coming here, one that was serious enough that he even told you about Sere and I. Then you got here and collapsed. You regained consciousness with your old memories, and quickly stopped doing all of your couple-habits from the past week. Then you get shy, and can't even be around him, or talk to him. On top of all that, your ex is still out and free, and you're wandering around looking like a ghost with that knowledge. Do you really wonder that he was getting frustrated?"

She stared at him with shocked eyes. Darien went on. "I can't say for sure, but it would seriously surprise me if he wasn't more sensitive than he lets on to rejection after what happened six years ago. So you worry about clinging, and end up shoving him away every chance you get, except he can't leave. You have nightmares. So he has to stay here, with me, Sere, and Mina, not his Autumn, with nothing to do and no one to talk to."

Her hands were over her mouth and she was sobbing again. He didn't let her know he'd noticed, just kept his steady gaze on her. "Kale..." She breathed, saddened to a point she didn't even know she could get to. It was bad enough he left, but to leave specifically because of _her_...

"Like I said, though, the situation isn't so bad that you can only use sympathy. Kale's not as grouchy as he acts. If you apologize, he'll forgive you. Just let him know how you were really feeling. Can you do that?"

She nodded, and he smiled. "Good. Now, I won't be able to drive you back until the weekend, and taking Rini with you and Sere will make the trip take forever. You up for taking the bus?" She nodded again. "Good. I'll take you there tomorrow before work. Make sure you're up, okay?"

She smiled, her first real smile in the days since Kale had left. Darien returned it, happy he could do this for them, even if they did have to sort it out themselves.

* * *

_I wanted to get this all up before the end of the month, but I don't know if that's going to happen, due to work scheduling. It will be finished by next week. Also, I wanted to say something else. However, if you get sick of authors begging/threatening/whining for reviews, skip it. I made up my own mind to get this up within the month. That's the only reason I'm here, at the library, posting this right now. Else, I'd be out skating, since it's the first time all week it's been cold enough. People are adding me and this story to favourites and alerts, and that's very sweet and I appreciate it immensly, but please leave a review. Tell me if something makes you laugh, makes you cry, makes you go 'hunh?' because I'm making no sense. That's how I get better. Even if it's just a quote and a quick comment, it really does mean the world to me. I can be having a rough day, and jsut spotting the little e-mail that says I got a review makes it all better. I try not to ask for them since I know that gets annoying. I also know I don't review nearly enough myself. Still, it's something to think about._

_Anyway, that's enough out of me. I'm off to the pond, and I hope you liked the chapter._


	15. Vacations Are MEANT to RELAX, Mr Grouch

Kale's coworkers were of the unanimous decision that Kale should never have time off again. He'd come back from his two week vacation even more wound up and snarky than he'd left. They hadn't thought it was possible for the ice-man to become more antisocial, but they were wrong. Now, they'd gladly deal with uncomfortable silences and feeling stupid at a look as long as he'd quit making those sharp, sarcastic comments. There was nothing for it, however. This was just how the jerk was, and they knew they'd just have to deal with it. He was a huge asset to the company, but none of them _liked_ him.

He didn't care. He'd seen what came of liking people. He'd lived through it a few times. It was painful, and harsh, and almost more than he could bear. Only his pride kept him still standing. He'd promised himself years ago that he wouldn't let this sort of hurt break him. It was his promise to himself.

It was all he had.

He stalked towards his home, contemplating selling it. It would take work to get another place set up like he wanted it, but at least it wouldn't be full of _her_. He'd just about convinced himself to call a real estate agent when he heard the scream.

_Autumn!_ His mind yelled, though he paid it little attention. He was already sprinting to the sound, heedless of his surroundings.

He rounded the corner to the park where he'd gone with her that first day, and what he saw horrified him. It _was_ her, his Autumn, confusing Mina, dressed as she had been that day they'd come to this park together. And she was being held by a tall, husky man in a vise like grip.

The man had a knife.

Before he knew it he was over there, breaking the arm that held her and interposing himself between her and the knife that was whistling towards her. The blow, which would have struck either the neck or the unprotected area above the collarbone on Mina, skipped off his sternum. Kale ignored the line of fire that followed the blade and punched the man in front of him in the face, feeling the jaw shatter under his fist.

The man howled in rage. Then he raised his knife again. Kale didn't let him complete the strike, catching him with a vicious backhand as he pulled his arm back. The man dropped like a stone.

Kale stood there panting, trying to catch up with everything that had happened since he'd heard that first scream. Finally he came back to his senses, noticing the small hands tangled in the back of his shirt and the sobs emanating from the person behind him.

He reached behind him and carefully manoeuvred around so that she was in front of him, held close. His free hand came up to stroke her hair. He ignored the burning sensation across his ribs in favour of consoling the girl holding him like a lifeline. "Shh, shh, it's alright, Autumn... Mina. It's alright. I've got you. I won't let him hurt you, okay? I promise. Promise, promise, promise. See? He can't hurt you, not like that."

She nodded, still clinging to him. Finally she pulled away from him, intending to tell him her feelings. She stopped, appalled, when she saw the blood quickly soaking the front of his chest. Her fingers went to the wound while she sucked in an unsteady breath. She was careful not to actually touch it, though she wanted desperately to be able to brush the slash away. "Oh Kale, I'm such a hassle to you, aren't I? I didn't mean... I didn't want... Oh, _Kale!_"

He was feeling increasingly lightheaded as she was talking. He couldn't even really focus on her words. _Shock_. He told himself. _Shock and blood loss. I need to..._

Then everything went black.

"Kale!" She screamed, as his knees buckled and he slid towards the ground. She tried her best, but the best she could do was to slow and cushion his slide to the ground. "Kale! Kale! Kale!" She was too worried to even cry any more. She cupped his cheeks, hoping to see him wake up. Suddenly there was someone right there, moving her off to the side and opening his shirt with hands that barely trembled.

"I've called for an ambulance for Mr. Diurn, and for that guy there. Police, too. I have some first aid, myself. Here, help me with this." The voice was sounded very young, and the man it went with looked very pale. Though Mina didn't know it, this guy worked with Kale, and had recently had so many assumptions shattered that his world was almost upside-down.

She took over unbuttoning the shirt while the guy carefully folded his suit jacket up into a neat pad, which he then used to apply pressure to the wound. He got her to help him with that while he checked Kale's vital signs. He heaved a sigh of relief when he noticed they were strong and regular. Before the woman next to him could ask about it, he heard sirens. He sent her out to the road to flag down the emergency vehicles.

Then he just held the makeshift bandage in place and tried not to think until the paramedics came over to relieve him.

Kale woke to the sound of a heart monitor sounding its beep right in his ears. He didn't even have to open his eyes to know he was in the hospital. The smell of antiseptic did that for him. He did finally open his eyes, curious. He couldn't think of what he was doing in the hospital. Memory came back quickly with the sight of the weeping blonde clutching his hand carefully, as if afraid to hurt him.

"Hey, none of that." He croaked, his voice not seeming to want to leave his throat. At the sound of it, Mina's head snapped up and her worried eyes met his. He attempted to smile reassuringly.

"Kale... Kale... Oh, Kale!" She scooted up to lay her forehead on his, her one hand still entangled with hers. "I'm so sorry, Kale. I didn't ever want you to have to be involved. And just look at what happened! Oh, Kale."

He lifted his other hand to slide her hair back over her shoulder and cup her cheek. He carefully angled her face so that he could kiss her softly. "It's alright, sweetheart. I'll be fine. He didn't hurt you, did he?"

She shook her head slightly. "No. You got there before he was able to do much more than grab me. Thank you."

"You're welcome." He replied, still feeling hazy, like he wasn't fully awake.

She opened her mouth to say something else, but the arrival of the doctor cut that short.

* * *

_Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I wa so happy to see them when I got to the computer finally. *Rolls eyes* The weekend was too long and I spent too much of it at work. I did get some ot out of it, though, so that helps. _

_To Laughing, and anyone else I managed to confuse last chapter, here's a short summary of what Darien was explaining to Mina: "He liked you, then you got your memories back and started acting completely different. That hurt his feelings, especially since rejection is such a sore spot for him. He thought you were acting all weird because he was around, but didn't want to leave you to your nightmares, since he _is_ still in love with you. That's why he left as soon as he could. Plus he thinks your shrink was correct, and the reason you're acting so odd is because you're actually terrified of him, like you still are of your ex. However, if you apologize, he'll forgive you and you can be together."_

_Some of that was between the lines. I hope that cleared eveything up for you._

_Giana, zgirl89, jackiez3695, reader, thanks for your kind words. I hope you continue to enjoy it._

_Boston: Thanks! I love spending cold, snowy days with a blanket, hot drink, and fire. I'm glad my story was a part of your relaxation._

_baby gyrl: I'm glad you think I'm doing the frusterations well. I wasn't sure if I was under-or-over estimating that, so thanks._

_queen bek: I took a picture with my camera back in the fall of yellow leaves against a blue, blue sky. That's the inspiration. I'm glad you like it too._

_shortygirl333 and sailorashes: Thanks, and your responses should be in your inboxes by now._

_Almost done. Just one more chapter after this._


	16. On The Annoyance of Being Shy

Kale was getting frustrated again. Mina was back in his apartment, citing him needing help changing his bandages as her reason. That was true, but it wasn't the only reason. He could see her open her mouth to tell him something a few times, yet she could never quite bring herself to say it. It didn't help that they had the worst luck for getting interrupted at just that moment. If it wasn't the police, it was that Melvin kid from work, or Mina's shrink, telling her to leave, or one of the numerous check-up calls from not only Sere and Darien, but from the rest of the old gang too.

It was also frustrating that Mina had reverted back to the behaviour that had sent him from her cousins in such a hurry. It was only the memory of Darien's first call that kept him from sending her off to end the torment. "_She's just shy. She doesn't dislike you or fear you at all. Don't let her leave without saying what she went there to say."_

He really wished she'd just get on with saying it, already. It had been almost two weeks since that incident, almost a month since he'd first met her. September had turned into October before she'd quit fussing every time he left his bed. His stitches had come out three days ago, and now he just needed a couple of butterfly bandages to hold the wound shut. It hadn't even necessarily needed stitches, but the doctor had erred on the side of caution, considering how long of a scrape it was.

Finally he cornered her in the living room one night. She'd been fidgeting, and when she'd got up to leave, he'd just snapped somehow. Before he'd known he was moving, she was trapped between his arms, back against the wall. She'd looked up at him, startled.

"No more games." He'd growled out. "Everything was great before, then we went _there_ and you started acting like _this_ and I'm _sick of it._" The anger in that last part caused her to pull back slightly, blinking in surprise.

She raised one hand to his face, trembling slightly with apprehension. "I don't mean to make you think I'm playing games, Kale, I just..." He saw her struggling to voice something, but the words just weren't coming out. He sighed in resignation before collapsing towards her, bracing himself on his forearms on the wall. He dropped his head onto his crossed arms, then looked down at her, still not quite touching.

"What's wrong?" He asked softly, his voice barely reaching her ears. "Why can't you be like you were before? What's scaring you so bad? It's just me and you here, and I'd never hurt you. I love you."

She looked up at him, her fear and wonder warring in her eyes. "You... You love me?" She replied, just as quiet as he had been. "I... I just... I keep thinking of what happened, what I let that guy do, what he did anyway. And then there's you... and you're just _so_ wonderful..." She was crying now, tears falling down her face. "You've done so much for me... and... but I'm... I'm damaged goods. You deserve someone wonderful, someone without my shadows and scars. Someone who's not a wreck and has never been touched by a sleazeball, and... and..."

"Shh, shh. Don't cry, Mina. I hate it when you cry." He pushed off from the wall, freeing his hands to cup her face. He carefully kissed her tears off of her face, wishing he knew what to say to take the fear away.

Finally he decided on a way. He pulled back far enough to look her straight in the eye, desperately trying to get his sincerity across. "Hear me and _listen. _I _love_ you. I. Love. You. If you're in danger, then I'll protect you. If you're scared, I'll comfort you. If you're maligned, I'll stand beside you. If you really want to leave, _I will let you go._ But _only_ if it's really what _you_ want. And the only reason your past matters to me is because it matters to you. Understand?" Seeing her fear still in the back of her eyes, he took a different tack. "Mina, do you love me?" She nodded.

He moved his hands to her shoulders and shook her lightly. "That's not good enough. Do you love me?"

"Yes, Kale." She said quietly. He shook his head.

"Not good enough. Say it. Do you love me?"

"Yes, Kale. I love you."

He pulled her close in then and whispered in her ear. "Really?"

"Yes." She said simply, her breath rustling his hair. "Yes Kale, really. I do love you. I love you, I love you, I love you." He could tell from the dampness of their cheeks that she was crying again.

"Good. Do you want to leave?"

"No." She breathed, her voice shaky.

"Do you want to give me to someone else?"

"No." She sobbed, obviously not liking the thought.

"Do you want to stay with me?"

"Yes. Oh, God, Kale, I want that more than anything." Her arms were tight enough around him to force him to take shallow breaths.

"Good. Because now that I know that, _no one_ and _nothing_ is going to get me to let you go. Understand? _I want you with me, and I will move Heaven and Earth to make that happen if I have to! No one _is _ever_ going to hurt you again. I won't let them. You're _mine_, and I'm _yours, _and that's all there is to it!" He caught her mouth in a demanding kiss, which she answered with all the emotion she had.

"Y'know, I do own furniture." He said, running his hand through her hair. She lifted her head from its place on his chest to wrinkle her nose at him.

"I know." She informed him loftily. "I've spent almost a full week moving it. Why do you mention?"

"It's just that we really _could_ use it. Instead of spending all our time on the floor." She giggled at that.

"Oh come on. The floor isn't that bad." She said, mock serious.

He snorted. "Says you. I'm the one actually laying on it. You probably don't notice one way or another, since you use me as a cushion either way."

She just tucked her head back down. "Well, you're _comfy_. And it means I don't have to go find somewhere comfortable to be myself."

He laughed and pushed her up slightly. "Get going. I am _not_ spending the night on the floor. Not in my own place."

She just smirked and pushed herself up. After she got to her feet, while he was still getting to his, she turned and sauntered out of the room. "I'm going to go find somewhere _else _comfy then."

He shook his head and followed her, his world and heart at peace.

* * *

_I have acheived something astounding here. I have actually finished a multi-chapter story. That's right, this is done. Puppy Love is next. Writer's block is gone for now, so I'm hoping to finish it up soon. I've already got quite a few chapters finished. They just need to be edited. Other than that, thanks for reading this story. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. My favourite part was the vinegar and cake, back in chapter 9 or something._

_If you want something funny, I suggest you check out Lesalanna's review of teh last chapter. Thanks to Isis Aurora Tomoe and Laughing as well._

_I hope you all have a great day. Bye!_


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